A Nicktoons Christmas Adventure
by dragoness100
Summary: Will Christmas coming up, Timmy and his interdimmentional friends couldn't think of anything more exciting. Except for the Evil Syndicate planning to take over the world with its magic. Now it's up to the heroes and their friends, old and new, to save the most wonderful time of the year! (Published on DeviantArt Dec. 21 2013)
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Let it Snow**

The sun rose high on a December morning in a suburb. Its light poured through a window in a young boy's room, grazing his face. Timmy Turner blinked and opened his blue eyes. Rubbing them, the bucktooth noticed something through the window and rushed to the window to look outside. White, fluffy snow piled high on the eves of his house and blanketed the ground below. In the sky there were a few puffy clouds that produced glistening snowflakes.

Timmy smiled with an open mouth. "Alright! It's here!"  
He rushed past the goldfish bowl and into his closet. Cosmo and Wanda, the bucktooth's fairies, poofed into his room.  
"What's goin' on, Timmy?" asked Wanda as she yawned.  
Cosmo inquired, "Is it that time when we grant you a stupid and irresponsible wish again?"

"Nope," said Timmy excitedly from his closet as he shuffled around, "take a look outside, guys!"

The two fairies flew to the window. Poof, their baby fairy son, appeared and followed them. With another poof, a yellow dog with orange hair and a wand tail yawned and stretched from the bucktooth's bed.

"Good morning, Timmy," said the dog.  
The bucktooth, now dressed in a coat and scarf, walked out from the closet, adjusting his gloves.  
The dog cocked his head to the side. "Why are you dressed like that?"  
"That's cuz it's snowing, Sparky!" said the bucktooth happily.

Cosmo pointed out, "Timmy's right...for once. Look at all that snow out there."  
Sparky the fairy dog jumped his front paws to the window sill and looked out. Wagging his wand tail, he turned his head to Timmy.  
"Oh, cool!" yipped the dog, "I've always loved the snow; bounding through it, rolling in it, going to the bathroom in it..."  
The gang perked, "What?!"

"Nothin'," Sparky quickly said.  
Timmy then thought of something. "Hey, why should we have all the fun?" said the bucktooth as he took out his recaller, "I'll invite the others to play with me."  
"The 'others'?" asked Sparky, cocking his head again.  
Timmy widen his eyes. "Oh, that's right; you've haven't met them yet, have ya, Spark? Well, now's a great time to meet my other friends!"

With that said, the bucktooth began calling the gang to meet him in Dimmsdale Park...

* * *

The park was quiet, as the snow had muffled all but the strongest of sounds. Many of the now bare trees were covered with ice and snow. Standing next to an empty fountain were a couple of boys; Timmy, Danny, Jimmy and Spongebob.

The genius studied Sparky, whom the bucktooth had brought with him. "So, this is a fairy dog?" he asked, scratching his earmuffs.  
"You bet!" replied Timmy in pride, "And he's the greatest dog I've ever had!"  
Danny pointed out, "Don't you mean, the 'only' dog you've ever had?"  
"Well, if I had a dog in the past then Sparky would be the best."

Spongebob rubbed his snow hat, confused. "That still doesn't make sense."  
"So," asked the dog, changing the subject abruptly, "what are we gonna do out here, Timmy?"  
Timmy suggested, "We should go sleddin'!"  
"But there aren't any big hills," Danny said, looking around the flat park.

The bucktooth wasn't fazed. "Then we'll make some. Cosmo! Wanda!"  
The two fairies appeared as dogs, with Poof a small, round puppy.  
"I wish there was a big hill in the park that we could sled on!" commanded Timmy.  
Cosmo and his wife lifted their wands. "One giant, uber-tastic, sledding hill comin' up!" he commented.

With a poof, a large snowy hill appeared in the middle of the park. A moment later, a pair big, wooden sleds materialized at the boys' feet.  
Timmy picked up one of them and said, "Let's do this!" and rushed to the hill, with the others following. Once the team had arrived at the top, Jimmy set down the sled, readying it.  
"Bet ya I'll get to the bottom first," commented the genius.

Timmy smiled, "Oh yeah? Bet ya can't!"  
Danny sat on one of the sleds. "Timmy, don't you mean we'll get to the bottom first?"  
"No," stated Spongebob as he did the same to the other, "He means that me and Jimmy are gonna reach it first!"  
The genius smiled as he got behind the sponge, with the bucktooth doing the same with the teen.

Suddenly Sparky appeared, wagging his tail. "Hey, Timmy! Can I join too?"  
"I don't see why not," replied the bucktooth as he made room. "Get on!"  
Danny grumbled, a little uncomfortable on the full sled, "Three's a crowd, dude."  
"Aw, don't worry!" said the dog and, using his magic tail, shrunk himself to twice his normal size, making room for the teen.

Smiling in satisfaction, the ghost teen said, "Cool, that's better."  
Once the two teams were ready, Jimmy counted down.  
"On your marks...get set..."  
The boys were at the very edge of the hill; with a single push they'd be off and sliding.

"GO!"

Doing just that, they began rushing down the face of the slope. It wasn't long before they picked up a lot of speed and were soon flying down the hillside. Cold wind brushed past Jimmy's face as he controlled the steering on the sled, with Spongebob clinging onto his torso. Danny, although behind Timmy, did the same thanks to his long arms. Sparky stood on the steering mechanisms, letting his tongue hang out.

The two teams zoomed through the snow, neck and neck to each other. Finally they had reached the bottom and skidded to a stop, flinging snow to the side.

Once the snow settled, Timmy jumped up, "We won!"  
"No, we did!" stated Jimmy as he got off.  
Danny stood up, "No way; we were totally in front of you guys."  
"Nah ah," protested Spongebob as he adjusted his hat, "we came right on top towards the end."

"Ahem."

A voice silenced the arguing boys and, turning to the sound, they gasped. Sam Manson, Sandy Cheeks, Dani Fenton and Cindy Vortex were standing close to them, their bodies covered head to toe with the flung snow and their faces contorted in rage.

The boys stared at their girls' for a moment before laughing out loud.  
Danny tried his best to stifle his chuckling. "What happened to you girls?"  
"You totally threw snow at us, that's what!" snarled Dani as she shook the snow from her hair.  
Sandy gave herself a shake, making the snow fall off of her like dust. "Now, that ain't right, ya'll!"

Once the boys calmed down, Spongebob said, "We're sorry. We had no idea you girls were there."  
"Serves them right for not watchin' where they were standin'," commented Timmy.

BAM! A ball of snow burst right in the bucktooth's face. Wiping it off, Timmy saw that it was Dani who had thrown the snowball, her naked fingers dripping in melted ice.

"Now that was funny," Sam slyly smiled as she picked up some snow and eyed her boyfriend.  
Danny held up his hands, backing away. "Sweetie, wait..."

The teen couldn't finish his sentence as his girl drilled him with a pile of snow in the face. The girls laughed and began chucking more snowballs. The boys yelped and began to run with the gals hot on their heels. The guys raced towards a stand of snow-covered trees and hid behind them.

Jimmy leaned on his knees, panting. "Well, if those girls want a snowball fight..."  
"...then we'll give them one!" finished Timmy as he picked up some snow.

Moments later, the girls rushed through into the opening. Not far away was the thicket the boys had run to earlier.

"Looks like we've got 'em trapped," snickered Cindy.  
Sandy smiled, "This is gonna be more fun than cow tippin'!"  
They sneaked carefully towards the edge of the trees, their snowballs at the ready...

WHOOSH! A flying ball of snow whistled past above their heads.

"Ha!" shouted Dani, watching the attack, "You guys have the worst aim ever!"

THWACK! Another snowball struck the ghost girl in the back of the head, causing her to fall forward.

The other girls looked up and saw the boys' arms filled with packed snow. Picking up some more, the guys started firing back. The girls, having recovered from the surprise attack, countered the guys' with hard snowballs. The gang continued to snowball each other for the next hour...

* * *

Back at Timmy's house, the team had returned from the epic snowball fight and were snuggled together in blankets around a toasty fireplace. The bucktooth's mom had brought them hot cocoa as a snack and their wet coats, gloves and hats were drying on a rack.

Jimmy sipped his warm drink and said, "I can't believe you girls beat us!"  
"They didn't beat us!" protested Timmy, "We let them win because they're girls!"  
Dani rolled her blue eyes. "Oh, don't give us that. We beat you fair and square!"  
"I actually thought they were pretty good at throwing snowballs," mused Danny as he huddled close to his girlfriend.

Sam smiled and lay her head on the teen's shoulder. "Just because we're girls doesn't mean you hafta play nice."  
"Well, it is a social tradition," explained the genius.  
Then, Sandy noticed Spongebob was writing furiously in a notebook. "Are ya writing all of this down?"  
"Well, not this stuff," said the sponge, looking at her, "I'm actually writing a to-do list for Christmas."

Timmy widen his eyes. "Hey, that's right! Jimmy, when's Christmas comin' up?"  
The genius looked down on his watch. "In exactly: 20 days, 15 hours and 45 minutes."  
"20 days?!" exclaimed the bucktooth, nearly spitting out his cocoa, "That's gonna take forever!"  
Spongebob explained, "And that's why I'm making this list of things to do before it comes."

Danny craned his neck to look over the sponge's shoulder. "What do you have planned?"  
"First, the Headquarters needs to be decorated and have a Christmas tree."  
Dani cocked her head and asked, "Can't Timmy's fairy friends help you with that?"  
"Good question!" said Cosmo who, along with his son and wife, were wrapped up together in a blanket.

The team waited for him to speak again. Finally Jimmy started, "Yes, 'Good question,' and..."  
"No," said the fairy, "that was it. I don't know the answer."  
Wanda piped up, "But I do; the reason why we can't help you with any Christmas stuff is because all of it is dictated by Christmas magic."  
"Christmas magic?" asked Cindy, "That's a real thing?"

The pink fairy nodded, "Oh, it's real, alright. Christmas magic is very powerful, more so than even our magic. It's so powerful only a certain number of creatures know how to wield it."  
"I'm guessin' Santa Claus is one of them, right?" inquired Timmy.  
Wanda continued, "Exactly. This magic can't be tampered by anyone else, even us, so that's why we can't help you."  
"Interesting," mused Jimmy, "do you fairies know where this energy comes from, by any chance?"

The pink fairy thought for a moment. "Well, most of it comes from holiday energy."  
"What's holiday energy?" asked Sandy.  
Wanda explained, "It's a type of energy that comes about during Christmas; gift-giving, singing songs, decorating; doing just one of those actions can produce a lot of holiday magic. It also leaves people with warm, fuzzy feelings inside when they do these sorts of things."

"I like warm, fuzzy feelings!" piped up Spongebob, "I'm in one right now!"  
Timmy smiled and was about to say something when he let out a big yawn. "Boy, all this talking is making me sleepy," muttered the bucktooth.  
Jimmy realized his own eyes were starting to droop. "It's also the warm fire and blankets that's making us drowsy."  
"Well, a quick nap won't hurt," said Danny as he put his arms behind his head.

The others agreed and started to fall asleep. Above them, though, a spider robot was watching them...

* * *

In a mansion near Amity Park, a one-eyed protozoa was looking through the robot's eyes and heard the heroes talking.

"Did you gents hear that?" asked Plankton as he looked at the other three.  
Vlad Plasmious and Professor Finbarr Calamitous were playing chess while Denzel Crocker was working on another fairy catching device.  
The rich ghost man looked up from his game at the protozoa. "Heard what?"  
"Yes," added the bald inventor, "I didn't hear anything from that...um...spying robot."

Plankton jumped down from the monitor and joined the men. "Well, those annoying brats were talking to their flying friends about 'Christmas magic'; they were saying something about how this energy is more powerful than themselves."  
Crocker perked up, "Energy that is more powerful than FAIRY magic? I must get my hands on it!"

Vlad stood up, saying, "You mean 'we' must get 'our' hands on it," and walking towards a bookshelf. Running his finger through the book spines, the rich man found what he was looking for and pulled the hardback out.  
"But isn't that 'Christmas magic' just some ridiculous...er...you know?" scoffed Calamitous.

The rich ghost man sat on the couch, looking through a special book. "That's what I thought so myself, but it looks like there's more to this magic than meets the eyes..."  
"Eye," said Plankton, pointing to said organ.  
"...and eye," added Vlad. When he found the page, the rich man stabbed a finger on a paragraph and read,

'Christmas magic is born from 'holiday energy'. It is from this energy that gives the most powerful wielder of this magic, Santa Claus, all the energy he needs to send presents all around the world in one night on Christmas eve.'  
Calamitous nodded, "That makes sense; it's impossible to do it otherwise, even for someone as powerful as...um...you-know-who."

Vlad continued to read, 'This magic can also give creatures magical abilities such as speaking and flying...'  
"Like Santa's reindeer," suggested Crocker.  
'...conjure up objects from the mind...'  
"Like presents," said Plankton, hanging on the book's edge.  
'...and even change the world's weather.'

"Like...er..." stuttered Calamitous as he tried to find the word. "Um...what was it?"  
Vlad slammed the book shut, trapping Plankton inside. "Well, whatever. If this 'magic' really can do anything and everything, it'll be the perfect weapon for us."  
"We can rule the world with it!" suggest Crocker, wringing his hands as he schemed, "maybe even...FAIRY WORLD!"  
Plankton popped his head from between the book's pages. "Yes, that's fine and all, but you're forgetting one thing: how are we supposed to get that energy?"

"Oh, that's easy," said Vlad, smiling. "We'll just head over to Santa's place and take it from him."  
Calamitous's eyes widen. "You mean..."  
"That's right, gentlemen," said the rich ghost man as he stood, "we are going to the North Pole!"

The Evil Syndicate then let out an evil laugh that echoed throughout the mansion.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Deck the Halls**

For the next few weeks, the boys and girls got ready for the holidays. They helped decorate their families homes, sang Chirstmas carols (although Danny's voice cracked a few times) and had snowball fights with one another. Spongebob, however, seemed to be the busiest of the bunch as he was off doing Christmas shopping for his friends and helping out as an elf for the mall Santa, his best friend Patrick Star. But meanwhile the Evil Syndicate was holed up in Vlad's mansion, working on something. With the evildoers nowhere to be found, some of the heroes became a little uneasy. But they just assumed the evildoers were just celebrating.

With just a few days left until Christmas came, the heroes were at the HQ working on the decorations; Jimmy was shooting out green wreaths from a special device, Spongebob was trailing colored lights across the staircase, Danny was hanging some red bows on the walls, Timmy was...well, laying on the couch watching his friends work.

"Keep it up, guys," said the bucktooth as he relaxed, "The place's startin' to look good."  
The genius turned to glare at him. "Is there some reason you're not helping us, Turner?"  
Timmy lifted his head. "It's nothin' personal; I just happen to be allergic to decorating." The bucktooth then made a fake cough.  
Spongebob walked over to him and dropped a box of heavy Christmas ornaments. "If you need something to do, you could help me fix up the Christmas tree."

The bucktooth heaved the box to the side. "I'm too short to put most of the ornaments on it. Besides, we don't even have a tree."  
"NO TREE!?" exclaimed the sponge. "I totally forgot! We need to find one right away then!"  
With that said, Spongebob grabbed Timmy's hand and drug him out the door.  
After watching them disappear, Danny turned to Jimmy and asked, "Should we follow them?"

"Nah," replied the genius with a smile, "I think Spongebob and Timmy need some bonding time."  
With a chuckle, the two continued decorating.

* * *

At the Christmas tree lot, Spongebob and a reluctant Timmy were wandering through the cut thicket.  
The sponge ran over to one of the pines. "How about this one, Timmy?"  
"What about it?" asked the bucktooth.  
Spongebob smiled as he posed next to it, "Do ya think it'll look good at the Headquarters?"

Timmy gave the tree a quick glance and shrugged. "I dunno. Can we pick a tree and get outta here?"  
"Timmy, adopting a Christmas tree is a special thing for this year," explained the sponge. "It has to be just right."  
The bucktooth arched an eyebrow. "Adopting a tree? What are you talkin' about?"  
"Take a look." Spongebob showed him a tag on the tree's trunk. It said, 'Icicle'.

"They gave names to these trees?" the bucktooth said dully.  
The sponge beamed. "I know, isn't it adorable? The people are treating the trees like pets."  
"Oh, really?" said Sparky as he came out from a bunch of the cut pines, shaking one of his back legs. "Now I feel bad."  
Timmy was about to ask why when he heard his name called. The bucktooth spun around and saw Dani Fenton and Cindy Vortex walking towards them.

Spongebob saw them too. "Dani! Cindy! What brings you gals here?"  
"We're lookin' for a Christmas tree like you guys," explained the raven-haired girl.  
Cindy looked over at Timmy who was starting to sidle up to her. A sad frown wrinkled her face.  
"So, Cindy," the bucktooth said coolly, his dullness gone. "I think there's a beautiful tree around here that'll be perfect for your house. You should follow me."

Spongebob giggled while Dani rolled her eyes.  
The blond girl sighed and asked, "Alright, I'll come. Just the two of us."  
Timmy beamed, "Great! It's this way!"  
Tugging her away, the two kids meandered deeper into the lot.

Sparky was about to race after them but Spongebob grabbed him by the collar. "Nah uh uh, they need to be alone."  
The dog frowned but stayed put and watched Cindy and Timmy disappear into the forest.

After they had walked far enough from the group, the bucktooth smiled and started to flirt.  
"You know what they say about strolling through a Christmas tree lot..."  
The blond stopped him and said, "Timmy, there's something I need to tell you."  
"You do?" asked Timmy, his heart starting to pound.

Cindy sighed again. "It's something serious and I need you to listen carefully."  
"Okay," replied the bucktooth and the two stood in front of each other.  
After a pause the blond started, "Ya know how I like both you and Jimmy?"  
Timmy nodded eagerly. _This is it_ , he thought excitedly.

"Well, I've been doing a lot of thinkin'..."  
 _Here it comes!  
_ "...And I've decide that I have to choose between the two of you." Cindy continued, "I can't play this game anymore."  
Timmy muttered, "Me neither."

With one last sigh, the blond said, "Now I've come to choose..."  
The bucktooth held his breath. He thought he might burst with anticipation.

"...Jimmy."

A whoosh of air escaped from Timmy. "What?!"  
"I'm sorry, Timmy. I realized that all the feelings I had for you before were..." Cindy sadly explained, "...well, just that, feelings. They never went as far as they did for Jimmy."  
The bucktooth was still shocked, looking deflated. "But, but..."  
"I know, I thought so too. I really thought that you were the one for me. You're an incredible guy, Timmy, there's no denying that. It's just that hanging out with you..."

Cindy closed her eyes and lowered her head. "...it's not the same as with Jimmy."  
Timmy's mouth started to quiver, not because he was cold; it felt as though he had been crushed from the inside.  
Cindy finally looked up and put on a brave smile. "But we can still be friends, right?"  
The bucktooth stared at her for a moment. With a fake grin, he said, "Sure, of course."

"Good, and thank you, Timmy," said the blond and she gave him a hug.  
Timmy returned the squeeze, but felt no better.  
"C'mon, let's head back to the others." Cindy turned on her heels and started walking back.  
The bucktooth just stood there, his smile disappearing and his blue eyes glittering with tears.

"Ooh, look!" Spongebob pointed out, "This one's name is 'Snowbell'. I like that one."  
He was looking at a nice pine tree while Dani was scratching Sparky's belly. Without glancing up, she said, "If you like it, then you should get it. That's what I would do."  
"Okay! Snowbell it is!" chirped the sponge as he dug into his pocket for cash.  
Cindy appeared through the thicket, looking a little sad.

"Hi, Cin!" greeted Dani, but then noticed her expression and asked, "Everything okay?"  
The blond smiled, "I'm fine. I'm just gonna head back home. See ya."  
Spongebob beamed a goodbye as she started sauntering from the lot. Dani watched her go but didn't say anything, growing concerned.  
Timmy was next to come out, his hands in his pockets and head hanging low. The sponge said, "Timmy, guess what?"

The bucktooth didn't seem to hear him as Spongebob continued. "We've found the perfect tree for the HQ. I can't wait to show it to the others! Whaddaya think, Tim? Doesn't it look amazing?"  
"Yeah, sure," mumbled Timmy as he continued to look down.  
With a heave, one of the caretakers helped the sponge carry the tree to the shed where the portal was opened.  
"You have a portal thingy that can teleport ya'll and yer tree to yer home?" mused the man. "Now I've seen everythin'."

Spongebob nodded, "I know, right? You can thank Jimmy Neutron for that!"  
At the mention of the genius's name, a sour look crossed Timmy's face as he and Dani followed the sponge to the portal.

* * *

Back at the headquarters, Spongebob had set up the tree and was gawking at it.  
"Isn't it a 'beaut?" beamed the sponge.  
Jimmy set down a box of the Christmas ornaments Spongebob had retrieved earlier. "It'll look even better once we put up the decorations."  
Spongebob looked over at Timmy, who was laying on the couch again. "Hey, Tim! Wanna help out?"

The bucktooth didn't answer for a moment, studying his hands, but finally mumbled, "No thanks, I'm good."  
"What?" asked the genius. "What kid doesn't want to hang up Christmas ornaments?"  
Danny was tying a mistletoe just above the entrance to the HQ when he heard the conversation. "C'mon, I'm sure Timmy has a perfectly good reason why he doesn't want to help you guys."  
The bucktooth then stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, a good reason."

Spongebob was still disappointed but said, "Well, I'll leave one ornament out just for you to hang up and no one else. But which one?"  
After trudging around through the box, the sponge brought out a bright green pickle ornament.  
Danny shook his head upon seeing the object. "The things people will make into ornaments these days..."  
"This one is actually a tradition," explained Jimmy. "According to legend, the pickle was the last ornament to be placed on the tree, the night before Christmas. Upon morning, the first child to find it hidden in the tree was rewarded with an extra gift from Santa."

"That sounds fun," mused Spongebob. "Timmy can hang it up on Christmas eve, then."  
He handed the ornament to the bucktooth, who looked at it for a moment before finally taking it in his hands.  
"Thanks..." he muttered, appearing not to be amused by the story.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Sam Manson appeared. "Hi, guys!"  
The boys, save for Timmy, chirped a greeting. Danny smiled and sauntered over to the goth.  
"Hey, Sam," beamed the teen, happy to see his girlfriend.

Returning the smile, Sam noticed something hanging from the doorway; a sparkling mistletoe, one that was hung by Danny not long ago.  
The goth pointed at the decoration, "Did you hang that?"  
"Huh?" asked the teen and he looked up. Seeing the plant, his face burned as red as the mistletoe berries. "Uh...heh, heh."  
Sam rolled her eyes, "Okay, just one for now." With that said, the goth gave Danny a quick peck on his cheek. The teen stiffened a little but relaxed with a big grin on his face.

Jimmy just smiled at the two lovebirds but noticed Timmy was grunting, "Humph, stupid love."  
"Love? Stupid?" asked the genius. "What about Cindy? Don't you love her?"  
At the mention of the blond's name, the bucktooth snarled, "Not anymore!", jumped from the couch and stormed up to one of the bedrooms.  
The gang heard the slam of the door and felt an awkward feeling set into the room.

"Gee, what's with him?" asked Sam.  
Danny just shrugged, along with Spongebob and Jimmy. The goth made her way to the couch and sat down. Her boyfriend joined her.  
"So, what brings you here?" asked Danny, changing the subject.  
Sam replied, "My family's finished with decorating the house so I have some free time to help you guys out."

"Great!" cheered Spongebob and he handed her a gold star. "You can place the star on top of the tree, then."  
The goth smiled and stood up. She tried stretching as far as she could but the pine tip was just out of reach. Feeling a grip on her hips, Sam was lifted up a little by Danny. The goth set the ornament on the tip and her boyfriend set her down.  
"Thanks," Sam said with a smile.

The gang stepped back a little to admire the finished Christmas tree. Complete with silver tinsel, bright ornaments and colored lights, the pine stood out as a beautiful decoration for the HQ.  
"Looks great," mused Danny.  
Jimmy agreed, "Sure does."

With a poof, Cosmo and Wanda appeared, along with Poof and Sparky.  
"Hi, everyone!" the pink fairy greeted. "We're back!"  
Spongebob turned to face her and asked, "Back? From where?"  
"We're back from Fairy World's supermarket," explained the green fairy. "We were picking up some stuff for Christmas dinner, fairy-style."

Jimmy inquired, "What's a fairy-style Christmas dinner?"  
Wanda got a dreamy look in her eye. "It's the most amazing holiday dinner a fairy can ever ask for; warm sweet potatoes, juicy green beans, fluffy mashed potatoes and of course...rump roast!"  
Danny felt his mouth beginning to water. "That does sound amazing."

"Sure does!" said Cosmo, "And you're all invited! Just as soon as we get the rump roast, we'll start cookin'!"  
Wanda raised her wand. "So me and Cosmo are gonna be gone for awhile until we find it. Tell Timmy we'll be back ASAP."  
"ASAP?" asked the dim fairy. "Are you talking about me again?!"  
His wife sighed and they both disappeared in a poof.

Sparky turned his head to the gang. "So where's Timmy at? I want to ask him if he wanted to go sledding again."  
Jimmy rubbed the back of his neck. "Timmy's upstairs but...he's been acting kinda testy lately."  
"Testy?" asked the fairy dog, "Like upset or somethin'?"  
Spongebob nodded, "Yeah, but I'm sure it's nothin' too bad. Maybe he's comin' down with somethin'..."

"Or, and I'm just guessin', he's heartbroken over Cindy dumping him for Jimmy."  
The gang nearly jumped out of their clothes. "What?!"  
Sparky cocked his head. "Oh, he didn't tell you? I overheard Timmy and Cindy talking and Cindy said something about how she wants to be just friends with Timmy and Jimmy being the only one who makes her feel happy or somethin'."

Danny continued to stare at the dog. "I don't believe it...no wonder Timmy's been acting so sensitive."  
"Really? That's it?" said Jimmy, rolling his eyes. "So he's been dumped by a girl. I'm sure he'll get over it in a few days."  
Spongebob didn't seem so sure. "Being heartbroken can take its toll, Jim. Timmy's needs more than a few days to recover."  
"He needs to recover from a relationship that he probably couldn't handle? Oh, please."

Then the genius smiled, "What's more important is that now I have no competition for Cindy's affections. If you would excuse me, everyone, I've got some courting to do."  
Jimmy opened a portal to Retroville and sauntered through it.  
When he and the vortex disappeared, Spongebob frowned. " I don't think Jimmy felt too concerned about Timmy's heartbreak at all."

"Really?" replied Sam sarcastically, "I didn't notice."  
Sparky piped up, "I think I've got something that'll cheer Timmy up. C'mon, Poof!"  
The fairy dog started up the stairs with the little fairy baby floating after him. "Poof, poof!"  
Sam shook her head as she watched the two disappear. "I bet it's gonna be about something dog-related."

"Yeah," replied Danny, although he still felt a little worried about the bucktooth.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Silver Bells**

On the snowy streets of Dimmsdale, Cosmo and Wanda were walking down the sidewalk in human form, the wife checking a map of the town.  
"We've looked in every store in Dimmsdale and there's still no rump roast. And everyone knows rump roast isn't sold in Fairy World."  
Her husband agreed, "Yeah, that would be so weird."

Suddenly the two stopped and sniffed. A warm and heavenly scent was wafting through the cold air.  
"Mmm, rump roast," they muttered happily. As if in a trance, the fairies started stumbling towards the origin of the smell.

Hidden in an alleyway was a cooking pot with the scared roast steaming inside. It stood out in the middle by itself, seemingly alone. But it wasn't.  
Behind some trash cans, Mr. Crocker popped his head out. Plankton was on top of it.  
"Why are we trying to capture Timmy's fairies again?" asked the protozoa.  
The crazy teacher explained, "Because, we need his FAIRIES to capture Santa's magic. Everyone knows that magic is attracted to other magic, just like a magnet."

"I didn't," replied an annoyed Plankton.  
Crocker put his finger to his lips. "Shh! They's coming!"  
The two villains hid behind the cans again and waited for the fairies to arrive.

They didn't have to wait long; Cosmo and Wanda appeared at the alleyway, stumbling over to the crock pot. When they were close enough, the device opened it's top up and sucked the two inside.

Once it snapped shut, Wanda came to her senses and yelped, "Hey! What's goin' on?!"  
The crazy teacher hoisted the pot up in his hand and shouted, "Yes! I've captured Timmy Turner's FAIRY GOD PARENTS!"  
"Do you hafta shout that word every time?" Plankton asked dully.  
Cosmo whined, "Oh no! We're trapped in the Crocker Pot again! But at least now we have rump roast."

Crocker schemed, "And now we'll use these FAIRIES to lure in Santa's magic. Off to the South Pole!"  
"It's the North Pole, you idiot," grumbled the protozoa.  
The teacher slapped his face as he and Plankton headed back to Vlad's mansion. "D'oh, that's right. I'd always get those two mixed up."

Cosmo and Wanda tried calling for help but the cooking pot silenced them. They could only await what was in store for them.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Heroes HQ, Timmy was slumped in his bed, looking depressed. Sparky was trying his best to cheer his master up.  
"So I tried getting the cows to come back home but they had already bought the farm," the fairy dog jested. Poof was on a drum set and played a little song at every punchline of the joke.  
The bucktooth continued to frown, not looking the least bit amused.  
"C'mon, _orange_ you glad that I came here today," Sparky tried again.

When Timmy didn't do anything, the fairy dog sighed and looked over at Poof. "The jokes aren't working; you got any ideas, little guy?"  
"Poof," the baby answered sadly, shaking his head.  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Danny entered the bucktooth's bedroom. "Hey, Tim! Feelin' any better?"  
"About what?" Timmy asked, curious.

The teen cringed. He knew that if the bucktooth realized that he and his friends knew what was going on he would be even more upset.

Instead, Danny nervously stuttered, "Uh...about, you know, feeling down today. I mean, if it's bothering you that much, you could tell me-"  
Timmy suddenly sat up in anger. "I don't need to tell you anything and I don't need any help! Now would you guys just leave me alone?"  
The teen backed away a little. "Geez, Tim, I'm just trying to help."  
"Yeah, Timmy," agreed Sparky, "I hate to see you like this so-"

The bucktooth jumped down from the bed. "What part of 'get outta of my room' did you guys not understand?! Cosmo, Wanda! I wish Danny, Sparky and Poof would leave me alone!"  
The four just stared at him with sympathetic looks. Timmy growled, " I said-"

A sudden ping sound came from his pocket. Taking out a strange device, the bucktooth looked it over.  
"What's that?" asked Danny as he studied the contraption.  
The bucktooth, now calmed down, explained, "It's a tracking device for my fairies, in case something happens to them while they're away."

A beeping signature appeared onscreen and an image popped up. It seemed to show the inside of a mansion.  
"Cosmo? Wanda?" inquired Timmy, "Are you guys there?"  
A voice spoke, "Timmy! We're here, but we're in big trouble!"  
Timmy scanned the room. "Where are you guys? I don't see you."

"We've been captured by-" The voice started to grow static and Wanda's voice began to fade.  
The bucktooth shook the device. "Guys? Guys?!"

With a sudden whoosh, a portal appeared in the room and Jimmy stepped out.

"Hi, guys!" greeted the genius but fell silent when he saw Timmy and Danny looking at his fairies' tracking device.  
The teen turned his head to Jimmy. "Jim! We've gotta problem!"  
Jimmy rushed over to the device. "What's happening?"  
Suddenly the image shook and a face of an old, sneering scientist appeared. "Well, hello there, Jimmy Neutron."

"Calamitous!" exclaimed the three.  
"I had a feeling your fairies would have a tracking device on, so I took the liberty of...um...removing it once we captured them. You wouldn't be able find them now!"  
Timmy shouted, "What have you done to my fairies!?"  
"Oh, they're fine..." explained Calamitous, "...for now. Once we, the Evil Syndicate, use their magic to locate Santa's hidden stash of Christmas magic we shall rule the world!"

The gang yelped, "What?!"  
The mad scientist frowned when he realized he just gave away the syndicate's secret mission. "Oops. Uh, what I meant to say was..."  
"Oh, for the love of cheese puffs, give me that!" snarled another voice. The image shook again and Vlad's head appeared. "Even if you brats do know about our mission to the North Pole, you'll won't be able to stop us! I hope you Heroes have a wonderful Christmas..BECAUSE IT'LL BE YOUR LAST!"

The screen suddenly winked out, leaving the three dumbfounded.  
"Oh no," Timmy blurted, "The Evil Syndicate has my fairies and they're planning to get Santa's Christmas magic! What are we gonna do?"  
Danny said, "Maybe if we hurry to their lair, we'd might be able to stop them from leaving."  
"That's not gonna work, Danny," replied Jimmy, "They know that we are gonna go after them so they're leaving as soon as possible. By the time we get down their, the Evil Syndicate will be gone and headed to the North Pole."

Timmy commented, "You guys haven't answered my question; what are we gonna do?"  
The teen looked around at the two boys and fairy creatures. Finally he stated, "We're gonna stop them from getting that magic, that's what!"  
"You mean," the genius started, "we're going to the North Pole?"  
Danny nodded, "By 'we', I mean me, you, Timmy and Spongebob are going."

"But I wanna come and save Cosmo and Wanda too!" whined Sparky.  
Timmy replied, "You can't, Spark. The Evil Syndicate's too dangerous. Instead you stay here with Poof, alright?"  
The fairy dog sighed but said nothing more.  
Jimmy opened the door, heading for the stairs. "Let's tell the others what's happening before we go, then."

He and the others followed him, leaving Sparky and Poof alone and frowning.

* * *

Back at the mansion, the Evil Syndicate was busy readying their supplies and devices for the trip. They were loading it up in a large, dark green tank truck with tread wheels and a large laser in the front.  
"I knew my Snow Tank 3000 would...," Calamitous searched for the word, "Um...uh..."  
Plankton suggested, "Come in handy?"

"Yes! That's right! Come in handy!" The professor eagerly rubbed his hands together and chuckled evilly.  
Vlad poked his head out from the window. "If you're done with your evil laugh, could you start the thing already?"  
"Did we get everything?" asked the protozoa as he and Calamitous climbed into the front. Vlad was behind the wheel.  
Crocker's head burst through a windowless pane covered in cloth. "Of course we did!"

The mad teacher then took out a list. "We've got extra ghost energy for Vlad, high-tech weapons for Calamitous, Timmy Turner's FAIRIES for me and Plankton's growth serum."  
"Growth serum?" asked the ghost man, "For what?"  
The protozoa just smiled an evil smile. "Oh, it's a Christmas surprise. Enough chatting, though; let's head to the North Pole and get that energy!"

The mad scientist pressed a button on the truck's control panel. The vehicle started to shake and it's tread wheels tucked into it's bottom. Four hover pads appeared and lifted up the truck through the air. The roof of the build opened up and the vehicle rose a few more feet before leveling out in the cold air.

Calamitous checked the fuel and status. "Everything's working as it should be...let's go!"

With a push on the wheel by Vlad, the Snow Tank shot forward and disappeared into the clouds.

* * *

"The Evil Syndicate is gonna do what?!" exclaimed Spongebob in fear. He, Danny, Timmy and Jimmy were in the lounge of the HQ, with the latter having finished explaining what had happened.  
The sponge held his head. "If they take away Santa's magic, then Santa wouldn't be able to deliver presents to all the good little boys and girls. Christmas will be ruined!"  
"And that's why we're gonna stop them before they do that," replied Jimmy.

Timmy piped up, "Well, wadda we waitin' for? To the South Pole!"  
"North Pole," corrected Danny.  
The bucktooth slapped his head and groaned. "I always get those two mixed up."  
"Wait!" started Spongebob, stopping them, "Don't we need some warm coats or something so we don't turn into popsicles out there?"

The genius smiled and took out a glowing cube. "Not to worry, Spongebob; my Hyper-cube's full of winter clothing and snow equipment. We should be fine."  
"Perfect," said the teen as he opened the door. "Let's go-"  
Danny bumped into his girlfriend and stumbled backwards.  
Sam did the same but recovered sooner. "Danny!"

The teen stood up and apologized, "Sorry, Sam. I didn't see you there."  
"What's goin' on, anyway?" asked the goth as she glanced at the others. "I was hearing something about Christmas being ruined or somethin'."

Spongebob nodded in panic. "It is! TheEvilSyndicateisgonnatakeallofSantasmagicanduseitforthemselvesanduseTimmysfairiestofinditand-"

BAM! Danny gave the sponge a hard slap on the back of the head. Spongebob blinked and said, "Oh, thanks, Danny."  
Jimmy calmly explained again about the syndicate's plan. When he finished, Sam was understandably upset as well.  
"What kind of monster would destroy the one day of the year that I actually enjoy?" exasperated the goth.

Her boyfriend puffed out his chest and pounded a fist into his hand. "Don't worry, sweetie, we'll give them a holiday beating they'll never forget."  
"Good luck, then, guys," Sam said and gave the teen a quick kiss. "Just don't get into too much trouble."  
Danny smiled and felt warmth glow from his body. Spongebob grinned, as he was always happy to see the two lovebirds share their feelings for each other.

Timmy just gagged and rolled his eyes. "Can we go now?"  
"Of course we can, Tim!" replied Jimmy and he pressed a button on one of his devices.  
With a whoosh of air, the famous hovercraft soared over to the group and landed on the ground. The four boys climbed in and said goodbye to Sam.  
"I promise, Sam!" shouted Danny as the craft lifted off, "We'll all be home for Christmas!"

The goth waved after them and watched as the heroes streaked toward's Santa's home.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Winter Wonderland**

The hovercraft whistled through the air at high speed. To keep the snow storm's wind from buffeting them, a glass shield surrounded the craft's occupants. Below them, snow-covered land whizzed by, becoming no more than a white blur.  
Timmy was rubbing his arms, shaking. "Neutron, I thought you said that shield would keep us warm."  
"I said that it'll keep the wind off of us," explained the genius as he piloted the hovercar. "That doesn't necessarily mean it'll keep our body temperatures stable."  
Spongebob grabbed the Hyper-cube from the compartment. "But I'm sure that our coats and mittens will help. I'll get them out!"

The sponge dug around in the device. Suddenly he felt something furry and pulled it out. It was Sparky!

"Oh, heh heh," muttered the fairy dog sheepishly, "hi, guys."  
Timmy narrowed his eyes at him. "Sparky! What are ya doin' here?! I told you to stay with Poof!"  
"Poof, poof!" squeaked the baby as he floated out of the Hyper-cube.  
Sparky explained, "Well, I didn't want to leave the guy alone so I took him along with me."

"But you weren't s'posed to come in the first place," pointed out Danny.  
The bucktooth agreed and commanded, "Sparky, Poof, I wish you guys were back home. It's too dangerous for you two."  
"But we really wanna save Christmas too, ya know!" protested the fairy dog as Spongebob set him down. "And besides, this is my first Christmas with you, Timmy. Don't you want it to be the most memorable one?"

Timmy thought for a moment and said, "Saving Christmas from the Evil Syndicate is an awesome memory..."  
"You can't really be considering this!" objected the teen. "It's too risky for them!"

As the team argued, Jimmy was watching the thermometer for the hovercraft's engine when he noticed the needle was starting to go down to the cold side, fast.

"Oh no," whimpered the genius. Suddenly the craft jerked, startling the occupants out of their argument.  
Spongebob yelped, "What was that!?"  
Jimmy turned his head to his friends. "My engine's starting to freeze from the cold. If it doesn't warm up soon it could shut down."

As the genius continued to talk, Danny noticed a dark shape appear out of the fog and headed straight toward them!  
"DUCK!" shouted the teen as he used his intangibility to make the hovercraft pass through the rocky mountain.

Once they were on the other side unharmed, the craft became solid again. But before anyone could sigh a relief, another large cliff appeared. This time Jimmy steered the vehicle around the obstacle just in time. Soon more tall stone spires materialized from the snow storm.

Bracing himself, the genius dodged and weaved through the range. Sometimes he'd miss them completely unscathed, other time he'd just barely squeeze past. The others had to hold on for their lives as Jimmy continued to navigate wildly; Timmy tightly clutched Sparky and Poof in his arms while Spongebob hugged Danny's torso in desperation.

"Oh," moaned the sponge as he started to turn a little green, "It feel's like we're in a roller coaster ride. And I don't do so well with roller coaster rides."  
The teen snarled and began to push Spongebob off of him, "Dude, if you do, you so owe me a new shirt and pants."

Suddenly there was a bang and the craft jerked again, more so than at first. Jimmy tried to adjust his steering but nothing was working. An emergency beeping sound was heard.  
"Pukin' Pluto!" screamed the genius, "I've lost control of the hovercraft! We're goin' down!"

The gang's hearts almost burst from their mouths as the car dipped downward and began to lose altitude.  
Knowing they wouldn't survive if the vehicle crashes, Danny transformed into his ghost form and quickly gathered up the team in his arms. He leapt off just in time for the hovercraft to careen into a deep crevice, disappearing with a flash of light and smoke.

The teen landed on the snowy cliff of the frozen fissure and set down the guys. They took a minute to catch their breath, and perhaps adjust their organs back into place.  
Jimmy, the first to recover, looked over the bluff where his hovercraft crashed and frowned. "Aw man, I just waxed it, too."

"So what now, Neutron?" asked Timmy as he stood up with his brother and pet beside him.  
The genius smiled as he showed his invention to the group. "Fortunately I was able to save the Hyper-cube from destruction. We'd better find shelter until the storm passes."  
Spongebob scanned the area and pointed over to a rise with a small opening. "What about there?"

"That'll do just fine," said Danny as he trudged through the knee deep snow to it. The other friends followed the teen's trail. Once they were at the entrance, the ghost teen got down on his hands and knees and crawled through. Inside was a larger chamber, one big enough for him to stand up without discomfort.

"It's safe, guys!" Danny called out to the others. One by one, the friends clambered in until everyone was inside.  
Sparky looked around the cavern. "Hey, it's not so bad in here, besides being an igloo."  
"Staying out from the cold wind is the best thing for us," replied Jimmy as he dug into his Hyper-cube. After a while, though, the genius was starting to worry.

Sitting down on one side of the chamber, Danny asked, "What's wrong, Jim?"  
"I can't seem to find the coats that I packed in here," muttered the genius.  
Sparky cocked his head. "Coats? You mean those fuzzy and warm shirts that you guys wear when it's cold?"  
"Yes, why?"

The fairy dog explained, "Well, when me and Poof tried to open the cube thingy to hide inside we accidentally released all of those coats that were in there."  
"You mean," Timmy concluded fearfully, "we don't have anything to keep us warm?!"  
Jimmy sighed and replied, "Looks like it. I didn't think we would run into a storm like this so I didn't pack anything else for warmth."  
"Then we're stuck here," whimpered Spongebob, "with no coats, no fire, nothing to keep us from freezing."

The genius tried to act optimistic, "As long as we stay in here, I'm sure we'll be fine..."

The team looked doubtful but said nothing and huddled together. Outside the blizzard raged with no signs of letting up.

* * *

Not far away, the Snow Tank was lumbering though the frozen tundra, easily wading through the deep drifts of snow. Just a few hours ago the tank was flying through the storm, but it got so cold that the flying fuel started to freeze, the same situation that Jimmy and his friends had suffered, forcing the crew to travel on land. But that wasn't their only problem; inside the Evil Syndicate were trying to stay warm. Why?

"Look, I w-w-was gonna install a h-h-heater in here eventually," said Calamitous as he shivered. "I just forgot, alright!"  
Crocker blew into his hands and replied, "Are you s-s-sure it was because you can't finish anything? I think t-t-that's what really h-h-happened."  
"And now because of your little mind fart," snarled Plankton as he huddled inside Vlad's jacket pocket, "we're all gonna freeze before we even get to Santa's place."  
The ghost man growled, "Will you idiots be quiet for a second so I can speak!? As long as the tank keeps pushing through we'll be fine."

"At least it's nice and toasty in here!" called out Cosmo from the Crocker-Pot on the mad teacher's lap.  
Denzel snarled and shook his fist at them, "NOBODY ASKED YOU FAIRIES!"

* * *

Back at the snow cave, the heroes were trying their best to stay warm. Already they were beginning to shiver violently, though.  
"S-S-Seriously," muttered Danny as his teeth chattered, "this has g-g-got to be the w-w-worst snow day ever."  
The other three boys had huddled close to the teen, trying to get warm from the older boy's body heat. Danny had his arms around them, doing the same.  
Spongebob tried to smile despite his shaking. "As long as w-w-we stick together we'll s-s-stay warm."

"I've got an idea," said Jimmy and he gathered a pile of torn paper from his Hyper-cube. When it was large enough, the genius shot his watch laster at it, making the pile burst into flame.  
Timmy sighed as the heat touched his face. "Looks like we're not gonna freeze after all."  
"We're saved!" cheered Spongebob as he cuddled his friends.

CRACK! There was a sudden noise from below.

"What was that?" asked Sparky.  
Another loud noise made a large crack appear underneath the heroes. As the boys watched in horror, more cracks started to appear.

"This is not gonna be good," muttered Jimmy.

Suddenly the ice broke free and the heroes found themselves falling. They slipped and slide in an ice tunnel, screaming all the while. After a few moments the boys landed in a pile of fluffy snow. Standing up and dusting themselves off, the guys gasped.  
The heroes had fallen into another chamber, this one looking like it had been carved from crystal ice. Large icicles hung from the ceiling and dripped fresh water. The floor looked like a mirror as the ice was so polished the boys could see their reflection.

"Wow," awed Spongebob at the scene, "this is so beautiful."  
Jimmy was just as impressed. "Incredible. This cavern must've been craved by a passing glacier, making everything look polished and smooth."

Danny scanned the chamber, amazed. When he stepped onto the icy floor his feet gave way and the teen fell onto his behind.

"OW!" yelped the teen as he rubbed his sore posterior. The others tried their best not to laugh.  
Except for Timmy. "What a spectacular fall, dude! Ha ha!"  
The teen glared at the chuckling bucktooth and tried to stand up again. Looking up at the tunnel they had just fallen through, Danny asked the team, "So do ya want me to take you guys back up there?"

"Maybe this is a shortcut," speculated Timmy. "I'd say we should follow this pretty cavern and see where it takes us."  
Spongebob pointed out, "But what if we get lost?"  
"We wouldn't get lost, we'll be fine," answered the bucktooth as he started down the chamber, with Sparky and Poof close behind. The other three just shrugged and followed him, careful not to fall like Danny.

As they crossed through the sparkling chamber, the boys couldn't help but awe at nature's creations. The stalagmites and stalactites look just like carved crystal. The only thing that was annoying them was the cold; despite hiding from the winds outside the gang still felt chilly.

After several minutes of walking Timmy suddenly stopped short, causing Jimmy to bump into him from behind.  
"Tim!" grumbled the genius, "What's the matter?"  
The bucktooth cupped the side of his ear. "Don't ya hear that?"  
"Hear what?" asked Danny.

Timmy put a finger to his lips. The team became silent and listened...

" _Ahhhhahhhahhahh, ohhhhhooohhhh..."_

"Is that the wind?" inquired Spongebob, a little uneasy.  
Jimmy shook his head, "No, there's no wind in caves."

" _Ahhhahhaahhaa, ooohhhhhooohhh..."_

Sparky spoke up, "Ya know, it's kinda funny. It's sounds like...singing."  
"Singing?" said the genius, "Who else is here?"  
The bucktooth shrugged, "Dunno, dude, but maybe whoever's singing can help us find Santa."

The team began to follow the voice. The singing soon lead them to another large chamber. Sitting on one of the smooth stalagmites was the owner of the voice; a young and beautiful woman. She was wearing a long purple gown with white highlights and a golden tiara sat ontop of her long, light brown hair. Laying it's head on the woman's lap was a large polar bear and next to her, sleeping soundly, was a snow leopard.

"Oh, Bruno," the woman was talking to the bear, "I can't believe how fast Christmas came this year, and I still haven't listed all the good little boys and girls for Santa. Though that list seems to grow shorter every year."

The boys hid behind a ice crystal, poking their heads out to watch. Suddenly the polar bear caught sight of the team and snarled.

"Something wrong, Bruno?" asked the woman before the bear charged over to the group.

The guys yelped as they saw the creature jam it's face at theirs, growling.

Danny tried to calm it down, "Easy there, big fella. We're not here to hurt ya."  
When the bear refused to back down, the woman said, "Bruno! Don't be rude, come!"

The creature turned its head toward his mistress and finally stumbled back to her. The boys let out a sigh of relief and stood up.

"Are you little ones alright?" asked the woman.

When the guys realized they were in the presence of a pretty lady, they grinned and nodded.

"Oh, we're fine, miss," beamed Spongebob. "Your bear friend kinda scared us, though."  
The woman stroked the creature's fur. "Bruno may look intimidating but he's actually very sweet."  
"Kinda reminds me of Danny," commented Timmy as he looked up at the teen.

The lady asked, surprised, "Danny? As in, Danny Fenton?"  
"Yeah," the ghost teen spoke up, "that's me. How do ya know?"  
The woman smiled, "Oh, I know all the good boys and girls of the world. My name is Shayla and I'm Santa's adviser."

"Santa needs an adviser?" asked Jimmy, lifting an eyebrow.  
Shayla just answered, "Well when you have a big as a job like Mr. Claus, you're gonna need all the help you can get. My main job is to help him pick out the kids who have been nice this year, among other things..."  
"We couldn't help but hear that you hadn't finished yet," pointed out Spongebob.

The adviser frowned, "Yes. It's just that...every year it seems like the 'nice list' gets shorter. There are just some people who think Christmas is a time when you get presents from everyone, not the other way around."  
"Really?" pipped up Timmy, "I thought that was the way Christmas was supposed to be."

For the first time, Shayla glared at the bucktooth with icy daggers. "Well it's not, and you better learn that Christmas is a time for giving love and friendship to others, not just material presents!"  
The team was a little stunned at the adviser's temper flare. She suddenly relaxed her face and sighed, "I'm sorry. I just get so fired up about the true meaning of Christmas."

There was silence for a moment before Shayla asked, "So, what brings you here to the Ice Tunnels?"  
"Well, here's the thing..." started Jimmy and he explained what was happening.

When the genius was finished, the adviser hissed, "What kind of person would do such a thing?"  
"The Evil Syndicate, that's who," said Danny.  
Spongebob stood tall, adding, "But don't you worry, Shayla. We, the Heroes, will stop them, hopefully before they get to Santa's workshop."  
"I commend you all for your bravery," said the adviser, "though this isn't the first time someone wanted to control Christmas magic."

Jimmy raised his eyebrows. "It isn't?"  
"For many years after Mr. Claus's first present delivery many people sought for his source of the magic. To keep these intruders out, Santa made his workshop and home camouflage against the snow and ice. He also magically charmed some of the animals, like Bruno, to spy on anyone wishing to breach his fortress."

The genius awed, "That's amazing. I'd love to see it."  
"Can we, Miss Shayla?" begged Spongebob, "Huh? Can we? We promise not to tell anyone."

Danny was about to add but a yawn interrupted him.

Shayla giggled a little, "It looks like you need to rest before you can see Santa."  
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," said Jimmy, rubbing his eyes.

With a jerk of her head, Santa's adviser lead the team to a small chamber. Inside were furry blankets and fluffy pillows. When Timmy went to touch one of them, he jerked his hand back in surprise.

"Hey, this feels warm, like it's been used."  
Shayla explained, "These are magically charmed to be warm. I take them with me wherever I go on long trips."  
As the boys got comfortable in the blankets, Spongebob turned to the woman and asked, "Where are you sleeping, Shayla?"

"Not far away with Bruno. Kai will be watching you boys tonight."  
Danny inquired, "Who's Kai?"

As if on cue, the snow leopard that was sleeping before walked out from behind her, blinking it's yellow eyes.

"Kai's another guard animal of Santa," said Shayla, stroking the cat's spotted fur. "Both he and Bruno come with me for protection. He'll be staying in this chamber."  
Spongebob gulped fearfully. "In...here? With us?"  
"Oh, don't worry. Kai will make sure nothing bad happens to you overnight, right?"

To the astonishment of the gang, the snow leopard purred, "Of course, my lady."  
"He speaks!" exclaimed Jimmy, but then he remembered, "...because he's magically charmed."  
Shayla nodded and started walking into her own chamber. "If you need anything, I'll be right next door. See you tomorrow, young ones."  
"Goodnight, Shayla!" said the team.

As they settled down for sleep, Kai jumped onto a flat ice plateau and curled up to do the same. The group was a little nervous having a large cat, presumably one that could eat them, nearby but after a few minutes the warmth of the blankets sent them into a deep slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Silent Night**

CRASH! The Snow Tank suddenly gridded to a halt and caused the Evil Syndicate to lurch forward. Outside the blizzard was still roaring with fury.

"What happened?" asked a surprised Vlad, "Why did we stop?"

Professor Calamitous rubbed the foggy window to look out. The evil scientist noticed a huge pile of white snow in the tank's front.

"It appears that we've hit a large snow bank, and it doesn't look like we can get out," concluded Calamitous.  
Plankton groaned, "Then we're gonna be stuck here until that blizzard lets up, and who knows when that's gonna happen."  
"Well at least we have the Crocker-Pot to keep us warm," stated Crocker.  
Vlad replied doubtfully, "That thing's gonna prevent us from freezing? Give me a break..."

"Well since I'm the smallest of the group, I'm gonna lose heat faster," concluded Plankton. "So that means I'm gonna need all the warmth I can get!"  
Without hesitation, the protozoa jumped onto the pot's top. Crocker hissed, "Oh, no you don't. I need it more than you!"  
The mad teacher then suddenly whipped the device out from under Plankton and held it close to his chest.  
"No, I need it more than you fools!" snarled Calamitous as he reached for the Crocker-Pot. Crocker answered with a slap to the wrist.

As the three clambered for the warmth of the device, Vlad rolled his eyes and held his head, "I'm surrounded by idiots..."

* * *

Back at the heroes' ice chamber, the crew was sleeping soundly. Timmy, however, not so much; he felt himself jerk awake but couldn't seem to move. The bucktooth's eyes darted across the room as he tried in vain to get his body to move.

 _What's goin' on?_ wondered Timmy, panicking. _Why can't I move?_

Suddenly, as quickly as it came, the bucktooth blinked and was able to flex again. Sitting up and looking around, Timmy realized that everyone else was still asleep; Spongebob laid on his back and snored quietly, Danny had a fleck of drool coming from his open mouth, Jimmy was on his side and facing away and Sparky and Poof were curled up together.

 _Maybe a quick walk will help me get to sleep,_ the bucktooth thought to himself. He stood up and carefully tiptoed out of the chamber. Once Timmy was alone he placed his hands in his pockets and began to tour the ice tunnels.  
For a few minutes the bucktooth 'oohed' and 'awed' at nature's spectacle. A sudden shuffle caught his attention and he spun around. Just a few feet away was his pet fairy dog.

"Oh, hey Sparky," greeted Timmy, trying not to look startled.  
The dog wagged his tail. "Hiya, Timmy. What are you doing out here in the ice tunnels?"  
"I couldn't sleep," confessed the bucktooth as he sat on a low ice shelf. "I thought that if I did some walking it'll help me relax."  
Sparky sat next to him, his warm fur brushing against Timmy. "Oh...but something's on your mind, isn't it?"

The bucktooth stiffened. "Uh...no way. Of course not. I mean, what else could I be thinking of...besides saving Christmas?"  
"C'mon, don't lie, Tim," pressed the fairy dog. "You can tell me, and I'll tell no one else."  
Timmy looked at Sparky for a moment before sighing and starting, "Well, if you must know...Cindy dumped me."  
Sparky's ears perked when he heard that. "Really?" he said, putting on a fake surprised expression.

The bucktooth nodded sadly. "Yeah...I don't know what I did wrong to compel her to choose that egg-headed Jimmy over of me."  
"Uh huh," acknowledged the fairy dog as he tried to comfort him, "I'm sorry about that."  
Timmy turned to him, looking serious. "Now, as your master and friend, you promise to keep this a secret, right?"  
Sparky nodded a 'yes', but was lost in thought.

"Good boy!" praised the bucktooth and gave him a pat on his head. As he strode back to the chambers he said, "Now that I got that off of my chest, I can finally go back to sleep. Goodnight, Spark!"

The fairy dog woofed a goodnight back but stayed behind, thinking. After a few minutes Sparky followed his master, his mind wandering. _I don't feel like a good boy_...

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the Heroes HQ, Sam was explaining to the others what had happened to the four boys.

"So now they're headed off to Santa's place to stop the Evil Syndicate," concluded the goth.  
Jenny Wakeman shook her metal head. "Those guys have really sunk to a new low."  
"You got that right," agreed Tak of the Pupununu, stroking his head feather. "I don't think Traloc would be able to do something like that."  
Manny Rivera pointed out, "No, I'd think he could do it. Now if it were Santana of the Dead then I'd agree; some of the villains in Miracle City say that she has no honor at all."

"But how come they didn't ask us to come with them?" wondered the robot girl.  
Sam replied reassuringly, "I'm sure it's because they don't want any of you guys to get hurt."  
"I'm actually glad I'm not going," commented the tribal boy, "I hate the cold."  
The tiger hero looked at him dully. "Maybe if you'd wear a warm coat and some boots you wouldn't."

"I told ya, I'm trying to get used to wearing those things. Do you know how hard it is to adjust to that?"  
The three shook their heads. "No."

Tak rolled his eyes and solemnly slunk into the couch. Manny and Jenny sighed and relaxed as well, having nothing else to say. Sam suddenly noticed Cindy with her head on her hand, looking out the window. The goth walked over and sat beside her.

"What's the matter, Cin?" asked Sam, "Worried about the boys?"  
The blond ran her fingers through her hair. "A little, but I know they can save the day. They've always have. That's not what's on my mind, though."  
"Oh?" said the goth. "Then what are you thinkin' about?"  
Cindy glanced over at Sam and stared for a moment. With a sigh she whispered, "If I told you, could you keep it a secret?"

"Uh..." muttered the goth as she looked over to the three. She signaled them, "Guys, could you give us a moment?"  
Jenny nodded, "Sure. C'mon, guys! The two girls what to talk about...girl stuff, I think. We should leave them alone."  
"Aw, but I can keep a secret!" protested Manny as he stood up.  
Tak snickered, "But what about that secret about you and Frid-OW!"

The tiger kid gave the tribal boy a punch in the arm to silence him. Grumbling under his breath, Tak followed Manny and Jenny as they disappeared into one of the bedrooms.

When all was clear, Sam turned to Cindy and asked, "So, again, what's up?"  
The blond took a deep breath and finally said, "Just a couple of hours ago...I dumped Timmy for Jimmy."  
"You did?" Sam exclaimed softly, trying her best to hide her knowledge about it.  
Cindy bit her lower lip. "I really didn't want to do it, ya know? But I just couldn't play this game anymore; I had to grow up and choose one of them. I tried to put Timmy down as gently as I could, but he was upset anyway. You think I'm a bad person because of that?"

"No, of course not," stated the goth, "You did what you thought was right. I've would've done the same thing."  
The blond beamed a little. "Really? Thanks, Sam. I feel much better now. You're like the sister I never had!"  
"Aw, no problem," shrugged the goth as she blushed a little. Sam had never been though of as a sister before.  
Cindy suddenly charged up the stairs, saying, "In fact, when Jimmy comes home I'm gonna tell him all about it!"

"Are you sure about that?" asked Sam, but the blond had already disappeared upstairs.

* * *

"Wake up, younglings! It's time!"

A loud roaring startled the boys awake. Danny quickly sat up and transformed into his ghost self, looking for the source of the noise. At the chamber's doorway was Bruno, the magically charmed polar bear.

"It's just me, boy," commented the beast with a snort. "Have the others awoken yet?"  
Jimmy stood up and nudged the other two to do the same. "We're about halfway there."  
Bruno then looked up at Kai, who was still sleeping. "Kai, it's time to go."  
"Already?" muttered the snow leopard as he stood up and arched his back. "I was dreaming about catching the fattest and juiciest goat in the mountains."

After the two magical creatures and heroes exited their chamber, they headed to Shayla's cell. Santa's adviser had already donned a thick and furry white coat with a hood and fuzzy snow boots.

Looking up and down at the guys, Shayla asked, "Where are your coats and boots? You wouldn't survive a minute outside."  
"Yeah, we had some trouble with that," muttered Danny sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.  
The adviser smiled, "Fortunately I always bring extra supplies for guests." Ducking back into the chamber, Shayla returned with a couple of warm coats and boots.  
"Ooh, they look so warm," commented Spongebob as he and his friends grabbed them and tugged the cloths on.

Once the team was ready, Shayla led them outside the cave. The scene opened with a blanket of white snow covered the land and a light wind rustled their heads tinged with snowflakes.  
Nearby was a large wooden sled with two harnesses. The advisor rushed over and began strapping them onto the polar bear and snow leopard who had arrived earlier.

"So Bruno and Kai are gonna pull the sled?" asked Timmy. "Isn't that for huskies or somethin'?"  
The bear shook his white fur, adjusting to the leather harness. "I can assure you; we can pull greater weight than those dogs."  
"Not to mention we are just as fast," added the leopard as he licked his paw.  
Shayla did one last check and called to the boys, "It's ready! Climb aboard, everyone!"

The team scrambled into the sled and made themselves comfortable on the cushioned seats.

"Alright, Bruno and Kai!" started the advisor, "Take us back to Santa's workshop!"

With a grunt, the sled lurched forward as the two magical creatures began pulling it. After a few moments they started speeding up and were now racing across the frozen plains. The sled bounced over drifts and small hills, causing the group to cling tightly to their seats.

Sparky then noticed something as he hung his head out the sled. "Hey, isn't it supposed to be really windy if we're going this fast?"  
"I put a spell on the sled to protect it's passengers from the wind," explained Shayla, "although it does nothing to stop the cold, so stay together."  
Danny raised an eyebrow and asked Jimmy, "What does she mean by that?"

"It means we should snuggle together like birds of a feather would be!" answered the sponge and he hopped onto the teen's lap and gathered the whole team in his stretchy sponge arms.

Timmy tried to push away from the overprotective Spongebob. "Hey, hey, could you give me some breathing room?"  
"I kinda like it," admitted Sparky as he nuzzled closer to the sponge. Then he shivered and added, "...even though I don't feel any warmer."  
Jimmy suddenly got an idea. Turning his head up the teen he asked, "Danny, you know your ghost energy creates heat, right?"  
"Yeah," answered the ghost hero, a little puzzled.

The genius continued, "Well, maybe if you concentrate enough inside you could raise your body temperature and release some of the heat though it."  
"Like an electric blanket?" wondered Spongebob.  
Jimmy nodded, "Something like it. Whaddaya say, Danny?"  
The teen blinked and smiled, "I bet I could that. Just give me a sec..."

The team backed off as Danny closed his eyes, took a deep breath and began concentrating ghost energy within. His muscles tensed and his ears popped, but finally warmth started emitting from his body. As a byproduct, Danny's chest began to glow an eerie green from the inside.

"Wow," mused Sparky as he snuggled against the teen, "Now that's what I'm talking about."  
The fairy baby agreed as he did the same, "Poof poof!"

Timmy, Spongebob and Jimmy soon gathered around their glowing friend. Opening his eyes again, Danny smiled and hugged the team close, feeling as though they were back home sitting next to a burning fireplace.

The boys were silent for a moment before Spongebob chimed in, "Hey, ya know what would make this even better?"  
"Hot cocoa?" suggested Timmy.  
The sponge simply answered, "No, silly. Christmas carols!"

The team sighed with resignation as Spongebob cleared his throat and started singing,

 _It's Christmas time! It's Christmas time! It's my favorite time of the year!  
_ _With all the presents and snow on the ground, all I want to do is cheer!  
_ _For the whole entire month we're doing Christmas stuff,  
_ _from singing to dancing to giving, we can't get enough!_

Suddenly Sparky yipped, "Hey, I wanna sing too!" Clearing his throat, the dog started howling,

 _It's Christmas time! It's Christmas time! It's the bestest time of the year!  
_ _All I want to do is have some fun and play in the snow all day!  
_ _And then I'll lay around the fire and snuggle up to my bestest friend Timmy!  
_ _No one, not even the Evil Syndicate, will ruin Christmas, okay!_

Then Spongebob and Sparky sang together,

 _Oh, we won't let those bad guys ruin it!  
_ _Oh, we won't let them destroy it, no!  
_ _We'll stop them before they can even get there anyway,  
_ _that's what will do!_

 _It'll be the most memorable Christmas ever!_

Jimmy smiled as he hummed along with the two, Danny tried to join but his voice cracked again, so he went silent. Timmy wanted to feel happy about Spongebob's and Sparky's singing, but he was feeling upset instead.

Now, even Poof was joining in on the chorus, although he was only saying, "Poof-poof, pooooof, poof. Poof!"

All the while, the team was getting closer and closer to Santa's workshop, and possibly, saving their favorite holiday.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Santa Claus is Comin' to Town**

After several hours trekking through the frozen plains, the gang soon spied something glowing bright in the distance. It looked like a green ribbon of fire dancing among the stars.

"What is that?" asked Spongebob as he squinted.  
Jimmy smiled and replied to his friend, "That's the Aurora Borealis. We must be getting close to the North Pole."  
"Santa's workshop is not far away then," said Shayla, turning her head to look at the boys. "But you should see the aurora when he's delivering the presents."  
Timmy raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

"Mr. Claus uses so much Christmas magic that it creates a beautiful aurora above his workshop," explained the adviser, "It's quite a sight to see."

Soon, the team came upon a large, snowy gate guarded by two Christmas elves holding large candy canes in their hands. Shayla reined Bruno and Kai to a stop in front of them and hopped out.

"Hello, Bobble and Rachet!" she greeted the elves. "Can you two take us to Santa? It's an emergency..."  
The larger elf called Rachet lifted an eyebrow. "Now? You know how busy he is tonight..."  
"...what with being almost Christmas and everythin'," finished the smaller one named Bobble.

Rachet finally noticed Danny, Jimmy, Timmy and Spongebob in the sleigh. "And how come you brought these scamps here? Do I need to use the Memory Mistletoe to wipe their memories about Santa's location?"  
Shayla shook her head. "No, no. They're here to help Santa. Please, let me and my friends speak to Nick."  
The two elves looked at each other for a moment, doubtful. Finally, Bobble answered, "Alright, we'll escort you guys to his workshop."

Rachet didn't look so thrilled but opened the massive ice doors anyway. With a long creak the gates slowly flung open, allowing the sleigh to pass through. Nodding a thanks, the adviser jumped back into the sleigh and led it though. Once inside, the gates closed again with a dull thump.

Inside the enclosed fortress was a Christmas village; homes looking like they were gingerbread houses lined a peppermint bark path. Trees with gumdrops and candy canes swayed in the breeze. At the end of the candy road was a large, red and white workshop. The smell of sweet candy and hot cocoa made the boy's mouth water and eyes widen. Spongebob tried to reach for a gumdrop that was close by but was thwacked on the hand by one of the elf's candy canes.

"Only those whom Santa deems trustworthy can eat the sweets," responded Rachet.  
Danny wondered, looking at the hurt fairy, "Santa has trust issues? Didn't know that..."  
"It's not that," explained Shayla, "it's just...times have changed since Nick first delivered presents to children."  
Spongebob frowned, "Is it really that bad?"

"Unfortunately yes, younglin'," grunted Bruno sadly as he pulled the sleigh. "I too had the nasty experience of trusting a human before I knew what he wanted."  
Kai agreed and said, "The same goes for me. Times have changed, for better and worst."  
"Doesn't the saying go, 'for better _or_ worst'?" pointed out Jimmy.  
"I wish it was, little one. I wish it was."

The boys looked at one another, a little sadden and shocked by the two creatures' pessimism.  
Once the team had pulled up the the door of the workshop, Shayla and the gang climbed out and walked up to the door. Bobble knocked on it with part of the Christmas tune, "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". When another knock finished the song, the elf slowly opened the door. From the entrance stood an imposing but friendly looking man. He had a white beard and wore a red and white outfit, complete with a hat, jacket, mittens and black boots.

The boys recognized the figure immediately. "Santa!" they exclaimed.  
"Well, hello there," greeted Nick, "You must be Danny Fenton, Jimmy Neutron, Timmy Turner and Spongebob Squarepants. What brings you boys all they way to the North Pole?"  
Jimmy spoke up, "Mr. Claus, we have an emergency. May we come inside?"

"Yes, of course. Come!" said Santa and he ushered them into the warm workshop. Once they were inside the boys saw an array of elves working on various toys, from the traditional wooden figures to electronics. Nick then led the team down a hall and into a private room. Upon opening the door, they entered a cozy room with a warm fireplace and several chairs. After sitting down in the largest, Santa invited the guests to do the same.

"Please," said the jolly, old elf as he handed out some hot cocoa for the guests. "help yourselves."  
When Timmy got his cup, the bucktooth swirled it around and commented, "This looks like ordinary hot chocolate."  
"It's magical hot chocolate," explained Shayla as she sipped her own. "It'll help you guys recover some energy."  
Once everyone was comfortable and drinking the cocoa , Jimmy started explaining the dire situation they were in...

* * *

In the barren frozen land of the north, the enormous Snow Tank was plowing closer and closer to Santa's workshop. The Evil Syndicate inside were planning out their attack.  
"...so, Plankton and I will sneak in through the gate and open it," Vlad was explaining, "and you two will drive the tank inside."  
Calamitous added, "And then...um, er...I can't remember the last part."  
"We'll bust into Santa's shop and force him to tell us where his secret stash of magic is located!" finished Crocker excitedly.

Plankton schemed, "And then I'll-I mean, _we'll_ -use that magic to rule the world!"

The evil men snarled an evil laugh. Inside the Crocker Pot, Cosmo and Wanda exchanged worried looks.

"I hope Timmy and the others know what's going on," said the pink fairy.  
Her husband didn't seem too concerned. "Don't worry, I'm sure their discussing some kind of plan with Santa."

* * *

"...And we have don't have a plan whatsoever to stop them," concluded Jimmy.  
Santa rubbed his white beard, concerned. "Looks like we're gonna be in big trouble if we don't do something soon."  
"I'd say we should give them a taste of our candy weapons," suggest Rachet as he brandished his giant candy cane.  
Danny shook his head. "I don't think sugar's gonna help us..."  
"...Especially if they'd brought along laser swords," added Timmy.

Spongebob asked, "Then what should we do?"  
"As long as those walls keep them out," said Bobble, "we should be fine."

Jimmy wasn't so sure, but kept silent. He was about to change the subject when Sparky beat him to it.

"Hey Santa, how come you're so suspicious of everyone?"  
The boys hissed, "Sparky!"  
Nick frowned a little, but calmly explained, "Well, it's not that. It's just..." He stroked at his white beard again, thinking. "How should I put it...?"  
"Times have changed?" suggested Jimmy.

Santa sadly sighed, "Yes, you could say that." He sipped his cocoa before continuing. "You see, when I first started delivering presents to the children of the world many years ago, I trusted just about everyone I met. It was a time when everybody knew everybody."  
"Everybody knew everybody?" wondered Danny.

The jolly old elf nodded a little. "Back then I was just starting out, going door to door at night when everyone was asleep and leaving presents out on their doorstep. I didn't get into the whole coming down the chimney and placing the gifts under the tree until later, but that's another story."

"It was also during that time when I was thinking of building a place to store all of the gifts until Christmas. I asked some of my closest friends to help me and soon we were able to build...a somewhat sable house for the presents not far from the village I grew up in."

Then, Santa hung his head slightly. "But one day, while I was gone delivering presents years ago, one of my friends had stumbled upon the Aurora Star."  
"The Aurora Star?" asked Timmy. "What's that?"

Shayla turned to the boys and explained, "It's an item that Nick uses to channel his powers and deliver the children's presents. It was given to him by a fairy who saw how much he cared for the children of the Earth."

Santa continued, "When one of my friends found it, he realized just how much power he could use from it. So he did something I thought a friend could never do; he stole it."  
"Stole it?" whimpered Spongebob.

Nick nodded sadly, "Yes. I was able to find it quickly and my friend didn't put up a fight for it. But now I realized that some people can't be trusted, even my best friends, so I packed up all of the presents, enchanted some reindeer to pull a sleigh and left for the North Pole. Along the way I met some elves who were kind enough to bring me to their magical home, the very one we're sitting in right now."

"This was an elf's home?" wondered Jimmy as he looked around. "Fascinating."

Santa continued, "I told them about my adventures and they were eager to help me make some new toys for Christmas. Long story short, after many years, I became the Santa Claus that children all around the whole world know about. However I never forgot about my friend's betrayal and ever since I have been cautious about letting people know my existence, thus protecting my workshop and the Aurora Star."

"I see..." muttered Spongebob, a little sad about Nick's past. "I'm sorry that happened to ya. But there are lots of people who believe in you and care about you. I'm one of them!"

Kai, who had laid beside Shayla sometime later, raised his head and spoke, "Do you really think that? I bet you won't be so sure after I tell about the growing list of naughty children."  
"Now, Kai," said the adviser sternly. "We've all gone though trust issues before. Could you at least give these boys a chance? They've come so far."  
The snow leopard narrowed his yellow eyes. "The last time I gave someone a chance I was almost killed by a hunter who wanted my pelt. Why should these boys be any different?"

"Because," defended Bruno, who had entered so silently that the guys jumped a little, "I too went through the same experience. But I was rescued by a human when I became trapped in an iron clamp. I realized then that there are just as many good people as there are bad."  
Kai snorted, "This coming from a bear who was too weak to defend himself from the first human."

Suddenly, the polar bear charged the snow leopard with a bellow, stopping short with a huff. Kai, in that second, had leapt to his feet and stood his ground. The two enchanted creatures' had their faces close to one another.  
"Is that a challenge?" threatened Bruno, his eyes blazing.  
Kai hissed, his fur standing on end, "Why would you think it were not?"

"Bruno! Kai!" scolded Shayla, bravely stepping in between the two creatures. "That's enough! This isn't the time for fighting and arguing!"

They stood silently, the tension in the air as thick as concrete. Finally, Bruno sighed and walked back outside, while Kai shook his fur and laid down again.

Shayla heaved a heavy sigh and muttered, "What am I going to do with you two?" She then turned to the boys. "I'm sorry you boys had to see that."

The adviser then realized that the heroes were gone. Peeking behind the chairs, Shayla saw the guys bracing themselves and shaking.

"Are you four alright?" asked the adviser.  
Jimmy slowly stood up. "It's not everyday that we see two of the world's top predators go at it with each other."  
"Yeah," agreed a shaking Timmy as he did the same. "What he said."

A sudden and loud crash shook the workshop. Shayla rushed to the window and gasped. "Oh no! Look!"

The others followed her gaze and stared outside. Charging through the broken wall was a large, tank-like vehicle with track wheels and a laser gun. Without hesitation it began firing bursts of energy at the defending elves, scattering them and making a path towards Santa's shop.  
Timmy snarled, "Now that's not cool."  
"Indeed. Let me take care of them!" hissed Kai and he charged through the door.

The kids, advisor and Nick watched in disbelief and horror as the snow leopard raced up to the front of the vehicle. He leapt and tackled the tank with a furry of claws and teeth, but the steel plating held strong. The laser suddenly set it sights on Kai and began charging up with energy again to strike him.

"Kai!" cried Shayla, who, along with Santa and the boys, had rushed outside.

The cat looked up and, upon seeing the weapon, jumped out of the way just in time. Landing a few feet away, Kai saw a smoking crater where he was standing moments ago.

"Hm, seems they are more prepared than I thought," mumbled the snow leopard as he stood back up.

Then, from behind the tank came Vlad Plasmious and Plankton, the latter holding a small but powerful beam weapon.

"How pitiful," glowered the ghost man as he looked at Kai. "Your only weapons are endangered pets and toy makers? I'm surprised nobody was able to breach your defenses earlier."

Kai hissed at the villains, pressing his ears down to his head, and tried attacking with his claws again but Vlad stopped him and hoisted him up by the scruff of his neck.

"We have a message for Old Saint Nick," he snarled, "Tell us where his energy source is and we wouldn't hurt him...much."  
"Here's a message for you!" roared a deep bellow.

Vlad and Plankton turned their attention to Bruno the polar bear. He had stopped a few feet from the two and was standing on his hind legs, making him taller and fiercer.

"Leave now, or I'll make you," warned the magical beast.  
Plankton snickered, "Oh, really? So be it, then!" The protozoa then turned and whistled.

A hatch on top of the tank opened and Calamitous and Crocker appeared. The mad teacher was carrying a crock-pot in his hands. The team then noticed something inside the device.  
"Cosmo!" Timmy exclaimed. "Wanda!"

Without another hesitation, the bucktooth dashed forward toward the battle. Danny tried to stop him but was too late.

"Timmy, wait!" called the teen as he and his friends watched the kid race towards the Evil Syndicate.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Blue Christmas**

Timmy didn't hear Danny's warning; he was too upset to stop. When the bucktooth reached the Snow Tank and it's inhabitants, Timmy shouted to the Evil Syndicate, "You let my fairies go, Crocker!"

The mad teacher edged the device away from him. "I don't think so, Turner! Instead, how about you get a taste of my new weapon!"  
With that said, Crocker revealed a large butterfly net and tried catching the bucktooth with it.

"I wish I had some weapons of my own!" Timmy cried out, but realized with a groan, "Oh, that's right..." that his fairies couldn't reach him with their magic. Knowing he was completely helpless, the bucktooth tried to retreat but was finally caught by his teacher.

Crocker snickered, "Hah! I've got you now!"

Suddenly, Sparky dashed over and leapt over to the mad teacher. Tackling him to the ground the fairy dog wagged his tail to activate his powers. With a poof the net over Timmy disappeared.

"Hey!" exclaimed the bucktooth, surprised. "I thought a fairy's magic couldn't work on nets."  
Sparky turned to him with a smile, "Fairy dogs aren't affected by nets. The only thing that really stops us are leashes."  
"Really?" said the teacher with a wicked smile. "Funny thing is, I just happen to have a leash right here."

Producing the said rein, Crocker quickly tied it to the back of Sparky's collar and jerked it backward hard. With a yelp, the fairy dog grabbed his collar in surprise and Crocker lifted him to his height.

"I have to say, you're just as bad as Turner when babbling about you're weaknesses," snarled the mad teacher.  
Timmy screamed, "You let Sparky go right now!"  
"I think I've heard enough from little brats like you for one day," stated Vlad as he phased up from the ground behind the bucktooth. The ghost man was about to punch the kid with a glowing fist when something big bashed him aside and tossed Vlad into a pile of snow.

Looking over to where the ghost man was flung, Timmy mused, "Woah, nice hit, Danny."  
"Thanks," replied the ghost teen as he blew off some of the green smoke from his fist.  
Then, Bruno and the others joined the two. "Now, we should finish them while they're down."  
Vlad suddenly flew into the air and returned to the syndicate. "I don't think so! You may have numbers on your side, but we have a few tricks up our sleeve today!"

With that said, the ghost man revealed from under his cape a long whip with a metal claw at the end. Crocker plugged in a sword with an attachment to the Crocker-Pot, making the weapon glow. Plankton slurped down the tonic he packed and grew to the size of Santa. Finally, Calamitous brandished a large laser gun at the group.

The evil professor curled his lip in a snarl, "Now, we're gonna ask one last time before we...um...uh..."  
"Lay waste to the land?" suggested Vlad.  
"Destroy Santa's workshop?" offered Plankton.  
"Oh, I know!" proposed Crocker. "Send it off into space!"

Calamitous continued, "I was thinking wiping the fortress off the map, but those are good ideas. Unless of course Old Saint Nick can lead us to his Christmas magic..."  
"Even if you're able to defeat us..." started Santa as he took a step toward them.  
Danny added, "And that's a big 'if'."  
"...You still won't be able to control the energy. Who knows what's it's capable of doing with all that power?"

Vlad just sneered, "Well, then I guess we'll have to find that out for ourselves. Since you're not going to co-operate with us, we'll just have to take it by force." The Evil Syndicate started to advance on the group.  
Bruno and Kai were about to step forward to attack but Jimmy held them back with his hand. "Don't worry; we'll take care of this."  
"Are you sure?" asked Shayla in a concerned tone. "They look quite strong."

Danny turned to her with a smile, "Yeah, but we're stronger." Turning back to the boys, the teen said, "Let's go, guys!"

With a shout, the heroes charged the evil doers with their weapons raised; Danny had transformed into his ghost form, Spongebob had readied his bubble solution and wand, Jimmy flashed his laser sword and, seeing that Timmy was unarmed, tossed him an extra.

"Thanks, dude!" called the bucktooth as he activated the weapon. The genius had taught him about using the powerful saber some time ago.  
 _I never thought I would be using this,_ thought Timmy. _I usually have Cosmo and Wanda poof me up a bazooka. But since they can't help me, I'll just have to rely on my wits and Jimmy's weapons to save them.  
_ Then the bucktooth groaned mentally, _Oh man, we're gonna be in big trouble.  
_

When the two groups finally clashed, there was a flurry of punches, kicks and slashes; Danny and Vlad took their fight to the skies, Jimmy and Calamitous squared off with their weapons, Spongebob and Plankton dueled nearby and Timmy and Crocker battled for Cosmo and Wanda.

The two ghost humans were flying and dodging each other's attacks, both trying to get the upper hand. Vlad lashed out with the long claw-whip to try and slice Danny in half. The teen managed to leap just out of reach, having the grappler miss him by inches.

Below on the tundra, Jimmy blocked the evil professor's laser blasts with his electric sword. When the genius tried to close in for an attack, Calamitous held out his hand and produced a powerful shield in front. When Jimmy's blade connected, it blasted the genius back.

As he got to his feet, Jimmy gasped, "What in Einstein's name...how'd that happen?"  
"Oh, I just created a shield with my newest invention," stated Calamitous and he proudly showed off a metal ring on his hand. "It's a deflector ring, capable of stopping plasma weapons in their...um...uh...you know."  
The genius snarled, "Well, that's not gonna stop us!" and he dashed forward again with the sword raised.

Not far away, Spongebob dipped his wand into the bubble solution and blew a stream of pearls at Plankton. Unfortunately, the protozoa had his one eye covered by a goggle, making the stinging bubbles useless. Plankton smirked and launched forward. The sponge was able to dodge the attack and tried to bash the protozoa with a karate chop. But Plankton used his antennae to deflect the blow and flung Spongebob to the side.

Nearby, Timmy was using the laser sword to hold off Crocker's weapon. The bucktooth noticed that each time they clashed, Cosmo and Wanda would yelp in pain.  
"Guys, what's wrong?" asked Timmy as he continued to avoid the mad teacher's attacks.  
The pink fairy replied weakly, "Oh, whenever Crocker uses that device, he drains some of our magic."  
"Also, it gives us a shock when he misses," added Cosmo. As if on cue, when the saber missed Timmy and plunged into the snow, the fairies screamed as electricity coursed through their bodies.

The bucktooth snarled at Crocker, "Release my fairies, you jerk."  
"Are you getting mad that I'm hurting your FAIRIES, Turner?" taunted the crazy teacher.  
Sparky suddenly piped up, trying to undo his leash, "Well, Timmy has been mad lately ever since Cindy dumped him. But he's probably even more mad since you're hurting his fairies."  
"So that blond Turner was trying to impress dumped him?" wondered Crocker. Then he turned to Timmy and sneered, "I'm not surprised; you're not the kind of guy girls would want to be around."

That did it; the bucktooth's face turned red with anger and embarrassment as he roared and charged forward. With a slash across the chest, Timmy struck down Crocker. The crazy teacher wasn't injured very badly, but was surprised at the ferocity of the bucktooth.  
In the clash, the Crocker-Pot dropped down into the drift. Timmy, now focused once again, popped the top off and released the fairies.

Wanda rose up and cheered, "Yay! We're free!"  
"Thank goodness," sighed Cosmo as he joined her, "I thought we would never get outta there."  
Poof chirped, "Momma! Dadda!" and he flew into his parents arms. The three happily cuddled and hugged, joyful to be together again.  
Sparky, meanwhile, had finally squeezed out of his rein and padded up to Timmy. "Hey, you did it, Timmy! Nice save!"

But the bucktooth didn't look happy. "What was that about, Spark?" questioned Timmy angrily.  
"What do you mean?"  
Timmy threw up his hands and shouted, "I told you to keep that a secret! I don't want everyone to know what happened between me and Cindy!"  
"Well, Danny, Jimmy and Spongebob know," pointed out the fairy dog. "I told them before we sent out on this journey."

The bucktooth screamed at the top of his lungs, "YOU _WHAT_?!"

Hearing the commotion, the teams stopped fighting to see what Timmy was doing. Santa, Shayla, Kai and Bruno too turned their heads to witness the confrontation.

"You knew about this the WHOLE TIME!?" Timmy continued ranting.  
Sparky tentatively tried to explain, "Well, you looked so down and upset that I thought-"  
"That's what your problem is; YOU DON'T THINK!" screeched the bucktooth. "First you totally spied on me and Cindy, then you told the guys all about it, and now the Evil Syndicate and Santa's workshop knows that whole story!"

Calamitous questioned sarcastic, "Uh, hello? Does anyone care?"

A pile of snow thwacked the professor in the face, silencing him. Timmy gridded his teeth at him, his hands wet from the snow he flung.

"But Timmy," Sparky continued to plea, "we just wanted to help you."  
The bucktooth turned to him again and barked, "I didn't need anyone's help! Not from Danny! Not from Jimmy! Not from Spongebob! And especially not from you, Sparky! I could've handled everything without you guys, but now you've ruined it!"  
Clutching his hands into fists and closing his eyes, Timmy roared, "YOU'RE A BAD DOG, SPARKY! A VERY BAD DOG!"

The fairy dog gasped with wide eyes. Then he lowered his head and tail and started to whimper. The bucktooth turned away from him, growling. Looking up, Timmy saw the expressions on his friends' faces; Danny crossed his arms over his chest in disappointment, Jimmy glared back and Spongebob sniffed with his blue eye's filled with tears.

"Timmy..." choked the sponge, "how could you say such a thing to your pet?"

The bucktooth was about to answer when a shadow past over him. Crocker had recovered and was standing over him with his metal staff raised.

"Eat steel, Turner!" the mad teacher snarled and bashed Timmy over the head.

The friends watched in horror as the bucktooth was flung to the side and into a pile of snow. He then laid motionless.

"Timmy!" cried out Cosmo and Wanda. They raced to their hurt godchild but were stopped and sucked into the Crocker-Pot. Sparky dodged and disappeared into the deep snow.  
Yelling, "No!", Danny dashed over to help but a powerful punch to his head knocked him down and out. Standing over the teen was Vlad, his fist glowing with a eerie purple light.  
Spongebob and Jimmy stepped back at the scene but they too suffered the same fate; Plankton body-slammed the sponge to the ground and Calamitous blasted the genius with his laser.

With all the heroes unconscious, the Evil Syndicate turned their attention to Santa and his group. They quickly took up threatening positions around the kids; Vlad picked up Danny by the collar and held his glowing hand near him, Crocker seized Timmy's throat with his sword, Calamitous held his laser gun to Jimmy's head and Plankton began putting pressure on Spongebob's body.

"This is your last chance..." hissed Vlad, "Give us that Christmas magic or these children will never wake again."

Sparky poked his head out from the snow to watch. He saw Santa stand there for a moment before sighing.

"Fine," said Nick as he closed his eyes. "Just leave those kids alone."

Bruno and Kai looked at Santa with astonished glances, but said nothing. As he led the Evil Syndicate to the workshop, the fairy dog quietly followed them inside...

* * *

"This is beyond evil!" exclaimed Shayla from the metal cage. She, the four boys and the two enchanted animals were locked away inside the enclosure. The syndicate had thrown them inside not long ago, but had kept Santa with them. Outside the cage was a large ice podium that glittered in the light that came from a hole in the ceiling.

Plankton replied with a smirk, "Oh, why thank you. I've always wanted to do something beyond evil."  
"Me too!" added Crocker. The two were standing by the cage, making sure none of it's inhabitants got out.

In the back of the enclosure, Bruno and Kai were tending to the unconscious heroes. Suddenly Timmy started to come to.

"Ugh, what happened?" he groaned and held his skull. "Why does my head hurt so much?"  
The polar bear explained as the other three started waking up. "You were knocked out by those evil doers. They put us in this cage while they interrogate Santa for his magic."  
"Oh no!" exclaimed Spongebob. "The's terrible!"  
Danny then noticed something nearby on the ground. Picking it up, the teen realized that it was the Crocker-Pot. Inside were Cosmo, Wanda and Poof.

Cosmo whined, "Danny! Get us out before the Evil Syndicate get Santa!"  
"We're a little too late," the teen pointed out dully as he released the fairies. They quickly rushed to Timmy.  
Wanda asked her godchild, "Are you okay, sweetie?"  
"Yeah, I'm fine," answered the bucktooth. "But I wish we were free from this cage."

The two fairies lifted their wands to grant the desire but nothing happened.

"Hah!" Crocker laughed out loud and turned to the group, "You're magic wouldn't work inside this cage. I've FAIRY-proofed it!"  
Danny stepped forward, "Lemme try, then," and placed his hand on the metal bars. A painful jolt made him yelp and jump back.

"Don't tell me; it's ghost-proof too, isn't it?" mumbled the teen as he rubbed his sore hand.

Spongebob readied his hands and said, "My turn!" The sponge then delivered a powerful karate chop to the bars. But the iron held strong and Spongebob was left quivering like jello.

"Nice try, Spongeboob," sneered Plankton, "but these bars are sponge-proof as well, thanks to me."

Jimmy tried cutting the metal with his laser watch but the ray just bounced off harmlessly.

"Pukin' Pluto," the genius sweared, "nothing's working."  
"Of course it isn't!"

The group turned to the voice and saw Calamitous and Vlad stepping out from behind the crystal podium. Between them was the jolly old elf, shackled in the hands and feet.

"Santa!" exclaimed the team.  
Calamitous continued, "I'd knew you little brats would try and break free from the cage as soon as you awoke. That's why I've installed those special bars, to keep you from...um...uh..."  
"Breaking free?" suggested Vlad. Shaking it off, the ghost man turned his gaze to Nick, "So, Claus, are you gonna show us that magic you promised?"

Santa glowered, "I'll show you my magic, but be warned-"  
"Yeah, yeah," Plankton said unfazed, "it's incredibly powerful and uncontrollable; we get it! Now give us that energy or face our wrath!"

Shaking his head sadly, Santa stepped to the podium and placed his hand on it's side. Suddenly, the entire stage radiated with a dazzling display of multicolored lights. On the top of the dais a large, four-pointed crystal star that rose up. It spun on one point and was throwing off flecks of lights like a disco ball. The team was awed by the sight, but Shayla, Kai and Bruno just glared at the men.

"What is that?" questioned Vlad.  
Santa explained, "That is the Aurora Star. It gives me all the magic I need for delivering presents."  
"Then you'd probably won't mind if we use it to...um..." Calamitous tried to find the word. "...Rule the world! NAHAHAHA!"

"You can't do that!" roared the snow leopard.  
Crocker hissed, "Just watch us, kitty-cat."

The podium started to sink to the ground. When it reached about five feet, it stopped with a clank. Vlad smiled as he picked up the Aurora Star in his hands.

"Finally, this Christmas magic is ours!" he stated in victory.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree**

Meanwhile, Sparky was quietly sneaking through Santa's workshop, trying to find the boys. He stopped and sniffed the air, sensing a pungent odor that he immediately recognized.

 _Timmy!_ thought the fairy dog and he trotted down one of the hallways. After a while he came upon a closed metal door. Carefully pushing through, Sparky saw the Evil Syndicate holding a sparkling crystal and chuckling to themselves. He scanned the area and noticed the boys inside a metal cage. Sneaking past the evil doers, Sparky hid behind the podium, watching all that was happening.

Plankton rubbed his stubby hands together in glee, "...And then, I'll use that power to make Eugene Krabs give me that Krabby Patty formula!"  
"Yes, you do that," said Crocker dully and he stated happily, "but first, I'll use it's magic to rule FAIRYWORLD and all of the FAIRIES!"  
Calamitous took the crystal into his hands, "That's nice, but it'll be me who will first to gather it's energy and rule the multiverse!"  
"Oh no," hissed Vlad as he swiped the Aurora Star from the evil professor's hands. "I'm going to use it first. With it's power I'll rule the world, the Ghost Zone and take Maddie Fenton as my bride."

Crocker pointed out, "You do realize she's married to that Jack guy, right?"  
"Oh I'll take care of him," the ghost man sneered. "Once I'm ruler, she won't have a husband, and I'll force her to marry me."  
Plankton widen his eye and said, "Wow, that's cold, even by my standards..."

As the Evil Syndicate continued to plot world domination, the heroes inside the cage, now joined by Santa, couldn't help but watch in horror.

Spongebob stated sadly, "Well, the syndicate is gonna rule the multiverse. Do you what that means?"  
"We're all gonna answer to a crazy, humped-back teacher?" offered Cosmo.  
Danny tightened his grip on the bars and snarled, "My arch-enemy is gonna marry my mom?"  
"Christmas will be ruined forever?" wondered Bruno.

The sponge bitterly answered, "Ding, ding. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner. You're grand prize is..." Then he burst into tears, "NO MORE CHRISTMAS!" Spongebob began crying loudly and slumped to the floor.  
"This stinks!" exclaimed Timmy as he kicked the metal bars, but jerked back when he felt pain and held his foot. Recovering, the bucktooth continued, "First I get dumped by Cindy, the love of my life, then my fairy-godparents get captured and now we're in a cage at the North Pole watching a bunch of evil doers take over the world!"

Jimmy frowned, seeing his friend looking so upset. "Gee, I had no idea you would be so ticked about that."  
"About the syndicate ruling the world?"  
The genius shook his head, "No, about you being dumped by Cindy."  
"Why should it matter to you?" glared the bucktooth.

Jimmy replied in a concerned tone, "Because I'm your friend. If anything happened to you me, Danny and Spongebob would do just about anything to make it all better."  
Timmy was a little stunned. "Wow, you really care for me that much?"  
When the genius nodded, the bucktooth sighed and said, "I guess I did overreact over Cindy dumping me. I really thought she would be the one for me, you know? For a second I thought you didn't care how I felt and went right over to her house to court her or something."

Jimmy chuckled nervously as he sweated a little. "What? No way! Why would I do such a thing?"  
"Because you did," replied Sparky as he poked his head through the bars.  
The genius sighed in dismay, "Thanks, Sparky." Then he did a double take and gasped, "Sparky!"

"Hey, you're back!" exclaimed Spongebob but Danny put a finger to his lips to silence the sponge.  
Timmy quietly asked his dog, "How'd you get in?"  
"Very carefully," replied Sparky in a whisper. "But how are you guys gonna get outta here?"  
Shayla suddenly realized, "Sparky, you can use fairy magic, right?"

"Of course!" answered the dog.  
Santa's adviser smiled and explained, "The evil doers said that magic isn't effective _inside_ the cage, but what about...?"  
"...Outside the cage..." Danny wondered as his eyes widen.  
Taking the hint, Timmy quickly whispered to his dog, "I wish we were outta this cage."

Sparky replied, "Ooh, I can do that!"

With a wag of his tail, the group poofed out of the cage and behind the podium. They looked over to see the Evil Syndicate still arguing over the Aurora Star.

"So what's the plan?" asked Spongebob.  
Santa suddenly grinned as he stared at the magical crystal. "I think I have it."  
"And what would that be?" asked Bruno, blinking his black eyes.  
Nick continued to smile, "You'll see..." Then his hands began to glow white with Christmas magic.

Meanwhile, the four evil doers were tugging at the four points of the Aurora Star, each trying to take it for themselves.

"It's mine, you fools!" snarled Plankton.  
Vlad replied with a grunt, "No, it belongs to me!"  
"I know how to use it properly," stated Calamitous. "so I must have it!"  
Crocker exclaimed, "It's all mine! You boobs will just have to wait until I'm done with it, which would be NEVER!"

Suddenly, the Aurora Star began to glow brightly, causing the men to release their grip on it. The crystal floated up and shot a shinning beam at Vlad. When the light disappeared, a red box with a handle on it's side appeared in place of the evil ghost man. The box started cranking by itself and played a little tune. With a pop, a Vlad puppet burst from it.

"What is the meaning of this!?" exclaimed the ghost man as he looked at his toy body. "I'm..."  
Plankton suggested with a snicker, "A Vlad-in-the-Box?" He received a glare from the ghost man toy.

The Aurora Star then launched three other beams at the evil doers, transforming them into toys; Crocker a stately nutcracker, Plankton a small pickle ornament and Calamitous a fluffy teddy bear.

"Is it funny now?" asked the Vlad-in-the-Box with his nubby arms on his hips.  
The Plankton ornament stood up on glass legs and replied, "It's better than being in a box."  
"GAH!" yelped Crocker in surprise. "I'm a NutCrocker! How did this happen?"  
Calamitous poked at his fluffy belly. "That crystal must've transformed us into these...um...whatever, with it's energy. But how did it do that?"

The toy syndicate then heard chuckling from behind the crystal podium. Peeking around they saw the heroes doubled over with laughter. Santa and his entourage were giggling too.

"You!" exclaimed the Vlad-in-the-Box as he hopped over to them. "You escaped from our ghost-proof-"  
"FAIRY-proof-" added the NutCrocker.  
"Sponge-proof-" the Plankton ornament included.  
"Cage?!" finished the ghost man toy. "But how?"

Danny tried to say something, but seeing the Vlad-in-the-box made him laugh even more and he collapsed to the ground.

The toy ghost snarled, "I'll show you!" When he tried to focus his ghost energy, nothing happened.  
"What? I have no power?" he exclaimed in frustration.  
Santa chuckled his trademark 'ho-ho-ho' and said, "Of course you don't. I used the Aurora Star's power to channel my Christmas magic and transformed you four into harmless toys. It'll wear off in a few hours, though."

"That leaves us plenty of time to scoff at your ridiculous forms," stated Jimmy as calmly as he could, "and take you guys to jail."  
Timmy snickered as he turned to the jolly old elf, "That was a great plan, Santa!"  
"You may have made us...um...powerless," growled the Calamitous teddy bear as he took out a remote with an antenna on it's top, "but you've forgotten my Snow Tank 3000!"

Pressing a big red button, the gang heard a rumble outside. Then, the whole building started to shake, silencing the boys from laughing. Suddenly, the roof was torn away and a giant robot stood above them. It was the same cyborg that Jimmy had battled when he and Calamitous first met, but much bigger and looking a lot more terrifying.

The evil professor sneered at the heroes' expression of horror. "Charming, isn't it? Let's see if you can destroy my robot this time, Neutron!"

Fumbling with the controls, Calamitous made the cyborg extend it's giant hand towards the group. Danny, now in his ghost form, launched a powerful ghost ray at it. The blast was strong enough to blow off some of it's fingers and have them drop to the ground. The guys smiled, thinking that was it, but the loose fingers started to twitch and shot back to the cyborg's hand and reattached.

With their smiles disappearing, the professor snorted, "Don't waste your strength! My robot can reconnect any parts lost in battle thanks to it's powerful magnets. But that's not...um...whatever, just watch."

Stabbing a button with the name "DESTROY HEROES!" on it, the cyborg's eyes glowed with red and it shoot a beam of energy at the boys. They dodged just in time and spread out. Danny bombarded the metal monstrosity with ghost blasts, Timmy flung several golden, exploding stars, Spongebob lashed out with bubble bombs and Jimmy used an lightning gun. All of these attacks combined and struck the robot all at once, creating a cloud of smoke.

With the cyborg hidden, Spongebob asked, "Is that it? Did we win?"

His question was answered when the screen cleared and the robot was still standing with not even a scratch on it.

"Pukin' Pluto!" exclaimed Jimmy as he and his friends regrouped, "It's armor's too strong for us to penetrate!"  
Plankton the ornament replied, "Of course it is, egghead! We're geniuses, remember?"  
"Hey!" barked Calamtious, waving his fluffy bear arms, "I'm the only genius in the group! If it wasn't been for me, you slackers wouldn't even...um...uh..."

The NutCrocker rolled his eyes and squawked, "Oh, yeah, almost freezing to death from one of your inventions. We've couldn't have gotten here without you..."  
"And who's idea was it to go and steal Santa's magic?" questioned Vlad-in-the-Box. "Don't you remember? It was me, so I'm clearly a better genius than you!"

As the Evil Syndicate continued to argue, the heroes were still dodging the robots advancements. When they tried attacking their charges simply bounced off the cyborg harmlessly.

Danny panted, "Crud, nothing's working. What do we do now?"

Jimmy was about to answer when the robot opened it's mouth, it's jaw like a serrated vice, and lunged toward them. As Timmy and his friends jumped away, the bucktooth noticed that the inside of the cyborg was covered in a thin coating of metal. Suspicious, he threw a gold star into it's maw and watched at it's sharp edges cut threw the metal like paper, revealing wires underneath. Suddenly the robot withdrew, preparing another attack.

Skittering back to his friends, Timmy overheard Jimmy growling in frustration, "That armor's preventing us from damaging that robot."  
"If we can't destroy it soon," panicked Spongebob, "it'll be the end of us, Santa and Christmas!"  
Danny suggested, "Maybe if we can get past it's armor we can shut it down. But I can't use my intangibility to past though it..."  
"What about the mouth?" wondered Timmy.

Jimmy cocked his head at the bucktooth, "What about it?"  
"I threw some of my golden stars into it when it tried to chew us up and it cut through the metal inside."  
The sponge squealed in delight, "Then that means if we focus our attacks into it's mouth..."  
"...We'll be able to destroy it's framework from the inside!" finished Jimmy excitedly and he turned to his bucktooth friend. "Timmy, you're a genius!"

Timmy rubbed his nose, embarrassed. "Tell me somethin' I don't know..."

A sudden and loud roar pierced the air and the cyborg snapped it's jaw, ready to launch another attack. Leaning back and striking forward, the robot's head bared down on the four boys. The guys clustered together, waiting for the right moment.  
"Standby, comrades," stated Jimmy.

Danny felt his muscles grow tense.  
"Standby..."  
Spongebob gulped and started shaking.  
"Standby..."  
Timmy gridded his teeth as his gripped his ammunition.

Suddenly, the cyborg opened it's mouth again and roared, just feet away from them.

"NOW!"

The four unleashed their full power into the robot's maw. When the attacks connected, the cyborg's head blasted apart and sent shards of metal flying. With nothing to stop it, the iron-cast body collapsed onto the building, missing the heroes by inches.

As the boys stared at the beheaded cyborg, they heard a cry of outrage. "NOOOO! My robot!"

The four evil toys dashed around the destroyed robot and faced the boys.

Calamitous hissed, "You little punks! Look at what you've done to my greatest invention!"  
"Looks like your 'greatest invention' needs some improvement," replied Jimmy sarcastically. "Might I suggest, oh I don't know, sealing up it's internal structure?"

The teddy bear professor was about to reply when a large red sack was donned over him and his companions. Tying it up, Santa swung the bag over his back and smiled.

"Don't worry, boys," said Nick, "I'll take care of these evil toys. They won't be ruining Christmas this year."

As Santa sauntered off back into his workshop downstairs, the heroes could hear the Evil Syndicate berating again,

"Oh, great plan, Calamitous. You've really put those brats in their place."  
"Silence, you fools!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: This is my Grown-up Christmas Wish**

Hours later, Santa's workshop was almost fully repaired thanks to the heroes. The robot was quickly scrapped by the elves, with Rachet mumbling, "This is gonna be useful for all those electronics,"

Meanwhile, inside, the jolly old elf was preparing the Aurora Star to deliver presents. The boys, Shayla, the enchanted animals and the two elves were waiting patiently outside.

"I hope Santa's able to send those presents away to all the good little girls and boys," worried Spongebob as he snuggled against Danny, trying to stay warm.  
Shayla put on a reassuring grin. "The Aurora Star has never let him down before..."

Soon, a dazzling display of colored lights appeared above the workshop.

"It's starting!" exclaimed Bobble excitedly.

From a small opening on the roof, the Aurora Star, spinning on it's podium, rose up into the sky. When it towered above the land like an ice mountain, the crystal began to rotating even faster and grew even brighter. A white beam of light suddenly escaped from it's top and shot up into the sky. Then, the heavens bursted with shinning, rainbow auroras that stretched out in every direction. The group watched in absolute awe at the spectacle. It was more beautiful than they had ever imagined.

Suddenly, something else appeared from the workshop. A red sleigh, towed by nine reindeer, was flying from into the sky. In it was the jolly old elf and a huge sack of toys.

Jimmy asked Shayla as he watched, "Wait, if Santa can deliver all the presents using the Aurora Star, how could he still flies around with his sleigh and reindeer?"  
"He thinks of it as a tradition, because he started off delivering gifts by using his sleigh and reindeer," answered the adviser. "Plus, Santa wants to make sure the presents have been distributed correctly."

The auroras slowly started to dissipate and the crystal sunk back down into the workshop, ending the magical spectacle.

With everything back to normal, Jimmy smiled and said to his friends, "Well, our work here is done, gentlemen. Let's go home."  
"Aw, do we really hafta go?" asked Spongebob in disappointment.  
Danny explained, "Our parents might be worried about us, Spongebob. It is Christmas Eve, isn't it? We should be with our families."  
"You make a good point, ghost boy," said Shayla. "Christmas isn't about getting presents and drinking hot chocolate..."

Sparky added, "Although it helps."  
"...It's about spending time with family and friends. There's no gift in the world that can replace that."  
Timmy blinked in revelation. "Yeah, you're right. Guess I was late figuring that out."

"Late?" wondered Kai as he walked up to him. "You are never late when learning a lesson. As for me I should've given you boys a chance, like Shayla and Bruno."  
Wanda pointed out sadly, "But your attitude was justified, wasn't it? You lost faith in humanity because of what happened to you in the past."  
"That's what I would do...if I knew what was going on," added Cosmo.

"No!" stated the snow leopard. "It was not the hunter that made me lose faith, nor was it the growing naughty list. The only one who made me lose faith was..."  
Then he hung his head and continued, "Me. I lost faith because I choose to lose faith. I didn't want to deal with all the bad things that happened to me, nor did I want any of them repeated. It was my fault."  
"But..." said Kai after lifting his head, "You boys had shown me the error of my ways. Although my faith for humanity is not fully restored, you have given me a good start. For that I thank you."

Shayla grinned and added, "And I would like to thank you as well, for saving Christmas."  
"You have my eternal gratitude," said Bruno.  
Bobble and Rachet chirped, "Us too!"  
The team smiled and chorused 'You're welcome!', 'No problem!', 'Of course!' and 'Our pleasure!'

"Hey, guys," Timmy started after the team quieted down. "I'm sorry I acted like a total jerk." Then he turned to his fairy dog, "And Sparky, I'm sorry I yelled at you. You're the greatest-"  
Cosmo spoke up, "-and only-"  
"-dog I've ever had."

Sparky beamed and wagged his tail, "I accept your apology, Timmy. I always will." The dog then gave the bucktooth a lick on the cheek, making him chuckle.

"So," began Wanda as she and Cosmo lifted their wands. "Are you guys ready to head home?"  
Timmy beamed, "You bet!" Then he turned to Shayla and her entourage. "Bye, everyone! Thanks for everything!"  
"See ya!" Spongebob chorused.  
The team was suddenly surrounded by an explosion of pink clouds. As they disappeared, the boys could hear Shayla shouting,

"Goodbye, young ones! And have a Merry Christmas!"

* * *

Meanwhile, back at the heroes HQ, the families of Jimmy, Spongebob, Danny and Timmy were gathered, eagerly waiting their sons' return. Not long before, Jenny and Tak had explained what had happened to them and invited the worried parents to the headquaters.

"Oh, I hope my little genius is okay," wondered Judy Neutron as she sat next to her husband, Hugh Neutron.  
The duck lover tried to calm her, "Now, don't worry, Sugar Booger. I'm sure the boys are on their way home right now."  
"They'll be here any moment!" cheered Jack Fenton. "I'm sure of it! Danny's never been late for anything...except for his curfew."

However, Mr. and Mrs. Turner were quite upset.

"Gegh, I miss Timmy!" howled the husband.  
The wife cried, "I miss Timmy, too!"  
"It's alright, Mr. and Mrs. T," Manny assured as he brought them some hot cocoa. "They'll be home any second now."  
Mr. Squarepants, who was standing, pointed out, "But it's already been a second and my son's still not here."

"It's just an expression, honey," explained Mrs. Squarepants.

Suddenly, there was an explosion of pink clouds in the room, blinding the parents and friends. When it cleared, the six boys were standing inside.

Spongebob coughed as he waved the smoke away. "Do we always hafta appear in a cloud of smoke?"  
"It makes a great entrance," said Timmy, although he added dully, "...if you're a magician, that is."

Jack and Maddie beamed, "Danny!" and rushed over to hug him. The other parents did the same with their sons.

"Mom? Dad?" exclaimed Jimmy as his folk smothered him with squeezes. "What are you guys doing here?"  
Judy explained, "We were starting to get worried. You hadn't come home so we came looking for you."  
"When we came across one of your friends," added Mrs. Turner, pointing to Tak, "we asked where you guys had gone."

The four boys gave the tribal kid a look. He sheepishly explained, "Well, your parents we so upset that I thought they would feel better if I told them what was going on."  
"So we'd decided it would be best if we hung out here," concluded Maddie, "in case you boys would come here first."  
Danny said, "Mom, Dad, I'm sorry we had to leave-"  
"Son, there's no reason to be sorry," interrupted Jack as he put his hands on his son's shoulders. "You stopped those bad guys, saved Christmas and made it back safe and sound." Then he sniffed a little, "I'm so proud of you."

Mr. Turner patted Timmy on the head. "We're all proud of all of you. I bet Santa's gonna bring you lots of presents this year."  
Timmy was about to agree when he suddenly trailed off. After a pause, the bucktooth replied, "But we've got the best present already."  
"What's that?" asked Hugh.  
The bucktooth answered, "We're here with our family and friends. Isn't that what Christmas is all about?"

"It sure is, Tim," replied Danny as he nooggied the kid's head, making him chuckle, "It sure is."

Jimmy smiled at the duo's antics and looked at his clock. "Oh wow, it's already midnight!"  
"Really?" yawned Spongebob when he heard that. "No wonder I'm starting to get so sleepy."  
Mr. Squarepants placed a hand on the sponge's square head. "Well we'd better get home. You boys must be exhausted."  
"Tell me about it," the four replied in unison. They looked at each other in surprise and laughed.

The genius opened a portal to his and his friends' home. "Well, guys, see you tomorrow!"  
"Yep, see ya!" exclaimed the guys and they and their parents disappeared into the vortexes.

* * *

Timmy's eyes fluttered open. At first it took him a second to realize that he was in his bed, and not in a comfy blanket inside an ice cave. Quickly sitting up, the bucktooth also remembered what today was.

"It's Christmas!" he exclaimed as he jumped from the bed and onto the floor. Then Timmy raced to his fishbowl and tapped on the glass.  
"Wakeupwakeupwakeup! It's morning, guys!"

Suddenly, three goldfish swam out from their sunken castle, looking exhausted.

Wanda rubbed her eyes and said, "Timmy, there's no reason to be so loud."  
"Are you kidding?" protested Cosmo, not acting tired, "That's the best way to wake up in the morning." Then he screamed, "WAKE UP, EVERYONE!"  
His wife replied with a bop to the head. Poof giggled at the slapstick.

Sparky suddenly and inexplicably appeared at Timmy's side. "Good morning, Timmy!"  
"Morning, Spark!" said the bucktooth as he picked up the magical pooch. "Let's head downstairs to see what Santa's left for us."

Not bothering to change his clothes, Timmy and his entourage raced down the steps and into the living room. Under the Christmas tree was a load of presents and stockings filled with nick-knacks.

"Cool!" exclaimed the excited bucktooth as he picked up one of the gifts. "I love being an only child!" With that said, Timmy started opening his presents.

* * *

"Danny! Danny! Wake up, sleepy-head!"  
The teen groaned and opened his blue eyes. Floating just above him was his cousin Danielle, in her ghost form.  
"What?" mumbled Danny as he sat up. "Why? What's goin' on?"  
Dani gave him a gentle punch in the arm. "It's Christmas day, silly! I can't believe you forgot."

"I didn't forget!" objected the teen as he stumbled out of bed. "I was just...so exhausted both physically and mentally yesterday. Me and the team saved Christmas and kicked the Evil Syndicate's butt; I think I deserve a few extra minutes of sleep."  
Dani giggled and replied, "I'm just kiddin' around, cuz. You'll be able to sleep all day after you see what Santa's left for you."  
"Santa left me something?" wondered the teen excitedly.

The ghost girl changed back into her human form and raced downstairs, calling, "C'mon, Danny! Let's go!"  
Chuckling, Danny quickly raced after his cousin.

* * *

All around the multiverse, the heroes eagerly opened their gifts from family, friends and Santa. But it wasn't long before they received a message from Jimmy.  
"Merry Christmas, heroes! To celebrate, there will be a Christmas party tonight at the HQ and you, your friends, and your family are invited. There's gonna be music, refreshments and games, so be sure to come!"

That night, the HQ was bustling with activity; the heroes and their friends and family were gathered in the central hub. A computerized fireplace crackled and popped with warmth and the decorated tree in the center glimmered with ornaments and tinsel.  
Jimmy, Danny and Spongebob were sitting on a couch, opposite of Sam, Cindy and Sandy. For some odd reason they looked nervous but excited at the same time; Spongebob was shifting on his cushion, Jimmy was twiddling his thumbs and Danny was adjusting his shirt collar.

Timmy, who was chewing on a sugar cookie, lifted an eyebrow at the three and asked Wanda, who was a plastic cup carrying punch, "What's with them?"  
"Oh, I think they all bought a Christmas gift for the girls," explained the fairy, giggling.

The bucktooth rolled his eyes, but kept silent. Even after yesterday he was still uncertain about falling in love, but he was more interested about Cindy; he wondered what she was gonna do if she saw him.

Suddenly, Spongebob gave Danny a nudge in the ribs. "You go first, buddy. Sam's your girlfriend, so you shouldn't be so bashful."  
"Dude," replied the teen sharply, "you know as well as I do that I can't help being shy. It's just that she's-"  
"I'm just what?"

Danny cringed and slowly looked over his shoulder. Sam was behind him, leaning on the couch arm.

The goth asked again, "I'm just what, Danny?"  
The teen tried to say something but he felt his tongue grow weak. Finally, taking a deep breath, Danny smiled and said, "I was gonna say that I can't help being shy 'cuz you're so pretty."  
"Aw," Sam replied with a blush, "I appreciate your flattery." Then she wondered, "But there's always a catch. What's the occasion?"

Danny calmed himself, dug into his back pocket and handed his girlfriend a small black box. "Here, Sam. Merry Christmas."  
"So you've actually got me something!" said Sam, weighing the present.  
The teen encouraged, "Go on, open it."  
Lifting up the top, the goth gasped. Inside was a beautiful, glass black rose necklace with gold accents on a similarly colored chain.

"Oh, wow," mused Sam as she took it out to study it. "It's incredible. Thanks!"  
Her boyfriend grinned and, pointing to the necklace, asked, "May I...?"  
"Absolutely!" the goth answered and she turned to show her back. Taking the gift in his hands, Danny carefully tied on the necklace around her neck.  
Sam rotated to face the teen and asked as she posed, "How do I look?"

"Great!" breathed Danny, happy to see her enjoying the gift.  
The goth returned the smile. "You do know me well, Danny. I even got a Christmas gift for you."  
"You did?" asked the teen, confused. "Where is it?"  
Sam just smiled and gave her boyfriend a quick and gentle smooch on the lips. Danny's eyes grew wide with surprise at first, but then he sighed and relaxed with a funny look on his face.

"I love Christmas," mumbled the happy boyfriend.  
His girlfriend giggled at the teen's reaction and said, "You're welcome."

Behind Danny, Jimmy just shook his head while Spongebob beamed with glittering eyes. The genius then realized that Cindy was sidling up next to him.

"So, Neutron?" questioned the blond, "Did you get me anything, or were you too busy saving Christmas?"  
Jimmy grinned proudly and stated, "Of course not!"

Hearing the conversation, Timmy carefully sneaked around behind them to listen. Cosmo and Wanda, in their human form, joined him.

"Here you are," said the genius and he produced a small package wrapping in green paper.  
Cindy didn't wait and eagerly tore open the gift. She gasped happily and took out the object; it was a bracelet with gems that glittered like ice.  
The blond smiled, "Jimmy, it's so pretty. Thank you so much."  
"Aw," shrugged the genius shyly. "only for you, Cindy."

The two of them grinned and snuggled close. Then she noticed Timmy standing behind them. The blond suddenly backed off and stood up.

"Cindy?" asked Jimmy, "What's wrong?"  
The blond stared back at Timmy for a moment before smiling, "Hey, Timmy. What are you doing over there? The party's over here."  
"Uh..." stammered the bucktooth uncertainly. He then felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Wanda's assuring expression in her human form. Timmy blinked and thought for a moment.

Then he finally said, returning the smile to Cindy, "It's nothing. I'll join you guys."

The blond nodded and returned to Jimmy's side. As Timmy walked over to grab some punch and cookies, Dani came up to him.

"Are you gonna be alright, champ?" asked the ghost girl.  
Timmy nodded, "Yeah. I'm still upset about Cindy dumping me, but I'm not gonna let it ruin Christmas and my friendship with Jimmy."  
"What made you change your mind?"  
The bucktooth let out a sigh before continuing, "I realized how much I cared for my friends. They're always there to help me, no matter what. I really thought I could handle this by myself, but I was wrong. I found that out when we saved Christmas."

Dani smiled, "It's good to have you back, Timmy. Now let's eat; I've heard these cookies are to die for."

As she reached for one of the treats, Timmy did the same and their hands touched. They froze for a moment before jerking their hands away.

"Ah, heh," the bucktooth sheepishly rubbed his hand, "sorry."  
Dani nervously giggled, "Yeah, oops."

Back at the couch, Spongebob suddenly remembered, "Hey! I almost forgot! We should show each other what we got from Santa!"  
"Great idea, Spongebob!" agreed Danny. "You won't believe what I got!"  
Jimmy grinned, "It's probably not as unbelievable as my present."  
"Okay then, Neutron," urged Timmy as he and Dani joined them, "you go first."

The genius smirked and dug into his pocket. Producing a small box, he pressed a button and it presented a hologram of a familiar vehicle.  
"Is that...?" trailed off Cindy, pointing.  
Timmy exclaimed, "The hover car!"  
"That's right!" said Jimmy, pressing the device again and making the hologram disappear. "Inside this box Santa has designed a hover craft just like my old one."

Spongebob interrupted, "The same one that crashed and burned?"  
"Exactly. He then shrunk it down into this device and sent it to me. All I have to do it press another button and it'll expand back to it's normal size."  
Sam smiled, "That's pretty neat. The best part about it is that you don't hafta build one from the ground up."  
"Totally," agreed Jimmy, nodding. "If I had to, it'll take me about six months."

Spongebob beamed, "My turn!" The sponge fumbled around in one of his shirt pockets and showed the gang a wooden, painted Krabby Patty sculpture.  
"Isn't it beautiful?" cooed Spongebob as he cuddled it.

The group was confused, considering the present was so simple, but seeing that the sponge was happy with his gift they just shrugged.

Danny said, "Looks like I'm next." The teen took out a rectangular box that said in big red letters, "Space Rocket Model Set". It also showed a flying rocket above the earth.  
"That sounds so cool!" mused Timmy as he stared at the gift. "Can I help you build it?"  
The teen looked uncertain, "Well, this stuff is fragile. You've gotta be careful with those tiny parts."

"My middle name is careful," the bucktooth proudly stated.  
Cosmo pointed out, "Really? When did your parents change your middle name from Tiberius to Careful?"

Timmy shut his eyes tightly, dismayed that his middle name was heard by the gang.

"Your middle name is Tiberius?" chuckled Jimmy.  
The bucktooth protested, "Yeah, yeah, you can tease me all you want about Tiberius tomorrow, but right now I wanna show you guys my present."

With the group still snickering, Timmy nudged Sparky. The fairy dog looked confused until he yelped an "Oh!" and ran his fingers through his orange hair tuft. He then revealed a pair of Crimson Chin PJ's from the mane.

"Ooh," uttered Spongebob. "Those look nice and comfy."  
Danny raised an eyebrow, "What amazes me is that-"  
"They are magically charmed to stay warm even when it gets cold?" Sparky punctuated.  
The teen finished, "I was about to say..." Then he trailed off and waved, "Ya know what? Nevermind."

"Hey, you boys and girls!"

The voice made the team turn their heads to see Mrs. Squarepants sitting on a piano (which Jimmy provided as a hologram) and tapping some of the keys as she tuned it.

"We're gonna sing some Christmas songs," the sponge mother explained. "You wanna join?"  
They chorused a "Okay!" and hopped over. Despite being a hologram, the piano produced a wonderful tune. The kids and the parents sang happily,

 _We wish you a merry Christmas, we wish you a merry Christmas,  
we wish you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!_

As Timmy and his friends caroled, the bucktooth grinned at Dani, with the ghost girl returning the smile. Outside a fresh snow was falling, bringing another fun snow day tomorrow for the heroes, their friends and their families. In the skies above, Santa and his reindeer flew off into the night.

 **The End**


End file.
